When Wedding Bells Die
by BleedingHeartsoftheWorldUnite
Summary: The preparations are almost complete, and the wedding is quickly approaching. Scorpion hasn't spoken to Evren since the mission in Outworld, Quan Chi is still unaware that Scorpion knows the truth of the Shirai Ryu massacre, and Noob gets crueler the closer it gets to the day of his victory. She's falling, and no one is there to catch her... Sequel to 'Never Forget, Never Forgive'.
1. Always Yours

The balmy sherbet blaze oscillated as the soiled wick came that much closer to parley with the merging wax, a steady drip of scarlet perpetually declining down the towering side of the gore-scented candle, the blood-stained words of the faded Necronomicon flashing between brilliancy and sunset. Fluttering dense lashes as sleep crept upon her tired form, saffron irises slipping into a blurry haze, the humanoid demoness fought against the heaviness culminating in her limbs to no avail. Her fair silver-gold locks spilled from the loose braid at her side as she moved her hand from her lap to the edge of the polished desk to use as in impromptu pillow. She had been so drowsy all this past week now, and the cramped handwriting scribbled on the flesh-pages were not helping any...

Glissading in a cloud of dark plums and navys into the one place where a semblance of peace could be found for a short time, the female hellion rested her eyes for a moment as the symbols identical to the ones imprinted on her pale white skin swam from the pages and snaked their way into her dreams. She had been pouring over these volumes for three straight hours now, searching frantically for an answer - _any_ answer- but so far she had nothing to show for her efforts - but she knew that there had to be some kind of a resolution! There had to be...

Amongst the countless books flying through the air in Quan Chi's private study, there was not a single scrap of paper that interested the former ninja; Scorpion had been in this room once before, but unlike now, that occasion had not been permitted by the archsorcerer of the Netherrealm or the biggest smallest prick in the realm. The aloof logical part of Hanzo Hasashi's mind severed from all else lamented that the events with the Necromancer's daughter had not happened at an alternate point, so that he might have had longer to investigate the sorcerer and his many plots. But what need for that was there, now that his very own daughter had handed the revenging spirit the very information he sought?

Knocking aside priceless tomes like centuries of cobweb as he passed through the interwoven web of evolving, nomadic magic - a rather ingenious form of protection to hamper thievery and detection that Quan Chi had thought up himself long before attaining his current position - Scorpion found his comparatively young charge seated at the recently cluttered desk. Atop and all around, there were stacks upon mountains of fresh texts and ancient, forbidden scrolls to be read later by her side, a chaotic pile of compendiums and disertations discarded on the floor by her chair. Leering down at her sleeping figure, obviously tuckered out from the strain of reading faster than her norm and in part due to her weakened condition, the undead shinobi was unable to escape the hauntingly vivid memories of their mission together. He might have been forced into spending all of his time with the woman since then, but he had not really looked at her once since that fateful night, when she recounted the news that she was to be wed to his fellow wraith Noob Saibot - it was just too painful.

For reasons he could neither explain nor understand, he was drawn to the slumbering hell rose in every sense of the word; Hanzo Hasashi was so near to her that he could almost touch her with the slightest movement on his part, but he refrained from doing so for a number of reasons. Prior to gaining this sort of proximity, Scorpion could easily make out her soothing essence from clear across the room, the smell of exotic flowers he had never seen wafting from her head as she turned in her sleep; he knew now that she had loved to garden, having a small pocket of a realm for such activity, but the smell was so faint now he wondered if she had gone to see to her flowers at all since coming back to the Netherrealm.

What did it matter if she had tended to her flowers?! She was the eldest daughter of the man that killed his clan, and what was more, she had lied to him, leading him to believe... No, it didn't matter what she made him feel or think, because he had a job to do, and that was to watch out for her come hell or high water, no matter how much the burning vengeance that now gave him life wished for the sudden appearance of a threat stronger than himself that could dispatch her, even if that did mean failure on his part-

Dispatch?! By the Elder Gods past, present, and to come, what the hell was he thinking?! True this woman had done him great personal wrong, but to actually think to himself that he should eradicate her...!

Reminded of that certain night in Outworld that left a deep scar - one yet to heal - Scorpion bitterly recalled how she had almost let him snuff her out, once... It was the same moment when she had confessed everything to him; that Quan Chi had manipulated him into being his servant, that his beloved Kana and sweet Jubei had died for no reason at all, that that bastard Sub-Zero had been innocent in the deaths of his kin... He pondered to himself if she was truly planing to die that night by his own hand, or if Noob Saibot was hiding in the emerald foliage nearby, merely awaiting him to make the wrong move and strike her down. No, he thought back to the look in her eyes at that moment, the wordless expression within shining in extraordinarily enduring anguish; regardless of her upcoming nuptials, she had fully been prepared to die right then and there... Despite everything else they had gone through together up to that point, there was no lie in her eyes...

Gah! How could it be that this one woman was mixing him up so damn much, his insides a fiery battleground to rival his new homeland, trashing at desperate odds against the sea that could perhaps see better days in the distant future, so how?! Glaring down at her serene expression, he realized that it would only be too easy to give her what she had wanted at that time... To do away with her memory forever... He didn't need to check around the otherwise empty space to know that he could do it now, quick and clean, no witnesses, ans as an added bonus, he wouldn't even be the first suspect either, due to all of the flitting about to appease groom-zilla. He could do it. He should do it. It would be fair - Quan Chi had executed his own son, so why not return the favor?

Extending his hand out across the minimal space that separated their two bodies, tendons taut as every fiber in his being resisted what he had in mind, Hanzo found himself trembling, his muscles on fire as his nerves shot every which way - He hadn't been this close to her since... No, he couldn't think about that now! Fingers spasming with arthritis that didn't exist, the bones beneath his flesh popped in protest, his elbow locking to prevent further movement, he could almost feel her milky skin beneath his hands, bruising like an overly-ripe peach, bursting in fireworks of red as he drained the life from her. Just a little bit more...

Aiming for the slender rod that held her head in place, patches visible beneath tumbling waves of sterling pearl that clung to her scantily clad shoulder, his clumsy fingertips brushed her royal ruby warded cheek, inviting a slew of repressed memories that damaged the floodgates beyond repair... Baraka's decapitating blades, the heady aroma of her blood, that entire night left to his own devices, watching her as she recovered from the grueling first half of their mission, his name on her lips, her ire, the crashing glass, the bathroom...

Fuck! The conflicting feelings he felt for her still gnawed at him, nestling with thorns and iron spikes in the empty cavity that had contained his heart once upon a time, and he found himself not enveloping her neck with the intent to asphyxiate but dusting his knuckles gently under her jawline, brushing back a stray hair that had fallen into her face while she slumbered. Dammit! He realized with a numbing stab that washed away all foreign aggression towards the female that he couldn't kill this woman even if he wanted to...

Feeling his hand on her face beyond consciousness, she mumbled something in her sleep and smiled for the first time in a very long time - the last smile he had witnessed firsthand being back during their mission - half waking up to the contact, just enough to say, "Hmm, it's been too long."

Freezing for a fraction of a second when she opened her delicate, unpainted lips, he berated himself for thinking that she would say his name ever again, daring to hope that some subconscious part of her might feel the same way he felt about her. Why was it so hard to just say that he hated her for what she had done and move on, back to his brooding ways? Even after she ripped his heart out and threw it back in his face every aching minute that they were together - which was maddeningly frequent, as being her bodyguard required his direct presence in the absence of her fiancée - he still loved her...

Panicking when she grabbed the hand still lingering by her ear, he noticed a rather heavy-looking codex that would be perfect for knocking someone unconscious, withdrawing his hand from her as quickly as he could when the opportunity arose. Tense, he waited as she fell back asleep, relaxing somewhat once he was sure that he wasn't in danger of being seen by her; Scorpion had taken great pains to establish a wall of strict professionalism between them since learning that she was engaged, and if she had seen him here, then it would have come crashing down easier than the average Lin Kuei warrior in kombat. She had enough to deal with with preparing herself to join her life with another, so he didn't want her to think that her bodyguard was going to try to create any problems for her wedding to the man she really loved...

That's right, she was not only in love with another man but about to tie her life to his, so who was he to interfere with her happiness? A lifetime ago he had had his own love, and even if they had been introduced on the day of their wedding, he could not imagine a life without Kana now... Who was he to take away the bliss that he had known long ago, to steal that joy of knowing that even for a moment, everything would be fine in the arms of your lover, to trample the dreams of a woman he professed to love? Even in his head, he had been starting to come to terms with the fact that it was possible to love more than one person in your life, but that was before he had learned of her intentions to get married. He could not intervene, nor could he ever find it in himself to carry on with a married woman if she had asked him to, so for that reason alone he had to forget about her... It was easier to give up hope...

Just about to teleport away from her prone shape to inform Noob and/or Quan Chi that he had found the missing bride safe and sound, his after-image lingering just long enough to see without being seen, Scorpion witnessed a series of things that happened in very quick succession: Noob Saibot, proceeded by his clone, had arrived mere feet from where he himself had just been standing, but instead of tenderly showing his bride-to-be affection as he woke her, Noob grabbed her by the back of her skull, ramming her head into the table repeatedly, hissing something inaudible in her ear. The shadow disappeared and reappeared beneath the table and her chair, grabbing her by the arms so she couldn't defend herself once she had regained her wits from the harsh wake-up call, laughing at her misery the whole while. Stunned awake, she did not bother fighting back and simply cried, tears soaked with blood running down her cheeks... And then he was gone, unable to see anymore as Noob terrorized his woman...

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**A/N:** Ok, so here's the sequel to "Never Forget, Never Forgive"! In case it's not obvious, this picks up some time after the events in NFNF, and Scorpion is STILL trying to reconcile everything going on around him. Poor guy. Anyways, I think that's pretty much all I have to say about this chapter, besides the fact that I was sweating Scorpion's reaction to seeing her vulnerable, and to point out once more that abuse is a big no-no! BIG NO-NO! Like I said to some of you, I'm really feeling the pressure to make this even half as good the previous story! Enjoy!

So please, new or returning, please review and let me know what you think!

***UPDATE 7-21-13*** I forgot to mention that this story will not strictly follow game canon but will also incorporate things from the shows Conquest and Legacy. Also fixed spelling errors.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mortal Kombat. That honor goes elsewhere. Like (but no limited) to Netherrealm Studios, the WB (or whatever they're calling themselves over at Warner Brothers), and Ed Boon. There might be more, but I'm no lawyer, and I'm certainly not versed in ownership rights, so I don't know exactly who owns what. I can, however, lay claim to original and other minor nameless characters, and I do.


	2. Always and Never

Crumpling the two narrow silken panels of multihued strands of alabaster that composed a majority of her dress during the fitting, the wider layer of slighter darker fabric yet to be added to the very back, the very exposed bride-to-be had to take a moment to rest. Legs trembling, her entire frame was aquiver with visibly racking shakes, but she took some solace in the fact that at her skin was not glistening with an unhealthy sheen of sweat this time; ever since this dammed wedding had been announced, the bride's stamina had taken a hit and was continuing to dwindle with each passing day. Well aware that it was the stress she had put under, the Necromancer's daughter had tried her hardest to hide the fact that she was cracking, especially from her betrothed, but it was becoming too much to handle on her own... There was no one to turn to in her moment of need...

But why should there be?

Sadly, even her internally declining vigor was not the only unexpected kink in her fettle; glancing down at her arms, past the nigh translucent glamor that by this point was not fooling many to pass her by, the frail demoness gazed at the blotches besmirching her natural pallor, each speck of alien pigment ranging from fresh fuchsias to dulled dark Byzantium, shades of gruesome greys and lively lavanders, liver and lemon, onyx and blue. Hoping that she had done a good enough job using her magic to blot away the temporary stains on her body, what she really should have been worried about was her face, a heavy line across her eye where her skull had met with the desk in her father's study earlier. It had been her fault that this had happened, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that her academic retreat would have caused this much of an upset, so she made a mental note that the next time she had to slip away, she would be sure to tell someone when and where she had gone. Ironically, that was actually what had caused this attractive new signature - figuring that if even Scorpion had lost track of her, Noob wouldn't think that she had gone off with her bodyguard for a secret tryst. As if that were even possible...

Peeking around the pillar of reeking rot and delicious decay she had chanced to rest upon, the young-looking female caught just the briefest glimpse of her ninja protector, and for a glorious split second, her heart rate spiked, but as with her luck of late, the good in the world was absorbed before she could enjoy it. This time it was one of the two demons attending to the creation of her gown - if you could call the meager scraps hanging from the glossy charred metal at her waist such - grumbling over their job, "Care to join us Evren, or shall we inform your husband that you insist on hindering the wedding date?"

Of the duo appointed to fashion a dress suited more towards Noob's preferences for his bride - ideas she could have sworn were crafted merely for her discomfort and potential humiliation - one of the demons was a child-eating creature with a stout pig-like wolf snout and beady acid-green eyes the size of a marble, while the other was a polychromatic beast with crochet needles for fingers and hooks and nails protruding from its chest. For the past ten minutes now they had been bickering back and forth about various subjects, one of which was whether or not to have the front flaps of Evren's ensemble coming out from the draped coils of alloy at her thigh, the material starting a little higher up at the hip, or the middle tier at her waist, flowing out from beneath her ribcage. Blaanid, the wolf-like female, insisted that it was classier to have the bride as covered as possible - especially with the groom's strict instructions upon the nature of the garment - but the scissor-thumbed Serik heartily disagreed with his companion, pointing out that it was explicitly expressed that the dress should showcase as much of the bride's 'glorious' form as possible. He also asserted that it lengthened her silhouette, thus making her more feminine and beholding to the eye. As anticipated, Evren was ignored whenever she tried to make a single suggestion about anything pertaining to the wedding, so she quickly gave up and decided to make better use of her energy.

Serik eventually won that debate and the exquisite garb was made to be from the hip down, dawning just above the zenith of the underwear-like piece covering her genitals, but that was days ago - the fight had since shifted to how they were supposed to fit the woman when it seemed like she had to sit down every five minutes! Perhaps the most unhappy with their jobs, they made no secret of their displeasure, the sewing monster once pondering aloud the option of dissecting the bride and sewing her back into place later, but the more sensible of the two reminded her partner that if they did not put up with the woman's constant weak knees and fainting spells, it would be their head on a plate next. Literally. They, along with everyone else commissioned into this carnival, had seen what had happened to the cook in charge of the appetizers when he had failed to deliver a dish fit for the delicate pallet of one of the honored guests. Blaanid still salivated at the memory...

It wasn't like Evren had been trying to be difficult for the sake of stalling or aggravating her groom - she knew better than to cross the volatile wraith - the attention alone was embarrassing to the point where she would rather cooperate as silently as she could so this thing could just be over, so really if she had had anything to say about it, this wouldn't be happening... Her body was just too frail from the stress of maintaining this lie...

Nodding over at Serik and Blaanid, Evren picked herself up from the column and attempted to pull herself together just long enough for them to figure out the perfect length of her skirts, but she had severally underestimated the degree of her condition, and she collapsed promptly to the floor. Or rather she would have kissed the dirt, had a certain someone not grown tired of the the squabbling and rushed to action to shut everyone up. But maybe that wasn't why he had sped from his post near the door; perhaps Scorpion had seen her joints buckling prior to her even feeling it and hastened to catch her before she could take another tumble. No, that was foolish, because he had no reason to care for her, not even before, during their time in Outworld... No, most likely he had become weary of all the standing by and had merely used this opportunity to say that he had done something since being appointed her personal protector.

Blaanid growled in alarm and slipped back into her native language, speaking in some demonic tongue that even Evren didn't know - and her master had ensured that she knew a number of hellish dialects - but she seemed to be on the bride's side for the most part. Alternatively, Blaanid was on the side of not having her flesh torn from her body in a violent game of tug o' war, as the gist of what she was yapping seemed to be that Noob would have all three of their heads if anything happened to Evren that he didn't like. The wolf seemed grateful for the first time for the onlooker of her 'creative genius at work'. Serik was of a similar mind, but seemed somewhat disappointed by the outcome of Scorpion's heroics.

Indubitably the first of the three scenarios that the heart-breaker thought up, Scorpion expressed his annoyance with the constant verbal altercations by his tone alone, milky orbs narrowing in disgust at their lack of professionalism; he solved their dilemma, completely overlooking the woman clutched in his capable, muscular arms as spoke only to them, neglecting her presence altogether, "Tie her up."

The two lowly grunts turned seamstresses gawked at each other and the shinobi in equal measure, wondering how they hadn't thought of that themselves. Taking the advice with mute gratitude, Blaanid went to where the supplies were kept and began to bustle about as she dug around for what they would need, and Serik began to yank regenerating tacks from his torso, grunting in extricating pain with each projectile he plucked. While he was preoccupied revealing in the masochistic pleasures reverberating throughout his entire being and Blaanid was delving deep into other rooms for the right kind of binding, that left Evren and Scorpion alone and unheeded. It was not the first time they had been almost truly alone together since the engagement, but given that the undead warrior was still holding the demon assassin so close in his arms, it certainly lent another light to the situation, stirring up more than shallow surface memories...

Wrapped instantly in a cocoon of one torrid morning that could have been happening at that very moment for the scorching sensation in the core, the demoness was ensnared by the feeling of his arms wrapped about her, her head falling back so that she could look up at him, the wraith drowning in the dainty perfume of her flowers as it traveled up his nose, through his mask. So very aware that he was grasping her as tight and as close as he was, Scorpion knew that he should release her lest something happen that he could never recover from, but it had been so long since he had felt this woman in his arms, and he just couldn't let her go... Not yet.

Fingers creeping of their own accord, the body was always more honest than the mind was, the bride's hand caressing his left forearm, the right hand of the bodyguard trailing downwards... No, what were they doing?! He couldn't do this, he shouldn't do this... He knew that he was so going to do this...

More than the latent lust, Evren was in love with this man, with widower and grieving father Hanzo Hasashi, not the man she was about to teether the remainder of her life to, and what hurt her the worst was that he had no idea that she was doing all of this, putting on a fake smile at just the right times, masking the nature of her injuries, disputing the fact of her ailments, was all for him. Noob Saibot had her trapped in this gargantuan lie, promising that should the lovelorn demoness not comply with his demands, he would kill the man she really did love, the sadistic prick killing her more and more everyday inside and out as he lorded what she couldn't have in her face. No, even if it were not for this grueling sham, this incorrigible shame, she still could never have her moment in the sun, of being held in the arms of her beloved...

Her chance with Scorpion had never existed in the first place, and if it ever had by some miracle, there was no way now that all had been said and done that she could ever dare to tell him her true feelings, that more than anything she longed for his happiness, that she would suffer the worst for all eternity just to ensure an hour in his favor. She was the daughter of the man that had killed his clan, his family, and now she was was forced into making him spend every waking moment in her company, acting as her bodyguard. As if there was an external threat to her life... The real threat was the man extorting her...

That was why this had to happen...

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**A/N: **I would like to kick this chapter off by thanking TheHemomancer - ironically you were the first to review both stories so far - and Obelisk of Light for your reviews! You guys definitely help me go on! This was originally going to be the first chapter, but I like it better here, like this. Although, in the first draft, there was no sexuality... Oh well.

You like what you see? Review! You no like? Review!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mortal Kombat. That honor goes elsewhere. Like (but no limited) to Netherrealm Studios, the WB (or whatever they're calling themselves over at Warner Brothers), and Ed Boon. There might be more, but I'm no lawyer, and I'm certainly not versed in ownership rights, so I don't know exactly who owns what. I can, however, lay claim to Evren, Blaanid, Serik, and all the other minor nameless characters, and I do.


	3. Last Day on Earth

Reason was all but lost by the time that Scorpion found himself holding Evren once more, essentially barren arms melding into the organic ambit of her waist like a corroding key into a waiting lock; springing opening in just that very manner, albeit with a very new pop, the bereft demon spawn felt in her heart that for the first time she was really home, lost in the warm, omniscient embrace of paradise. And just like all islands of Shangri-la, temptation was not far behind the encompassing orbit of safety and satisfaction...

Thumb grazing just passed her navel as he chased the sensual contour of her form, the mind jumped ahead of the body by another three steps, the native Netherrealmian's largely neglected womanhood twitching in excitement as she imagined two or three of his five strong appendages rubbing along her warm crevice; standing just behind the female, her shapely assets grinding against him as her hips began to sway back and forth with maddeningly diminutive motions, it would be a downright lie to say that his body wasn't feeling the building urge too. Biting the inside of her lip as the bride-to-be stifled an anticipatory moan, failing to completely mask the noise, her golden orbs darting over from Scorpion's falteringly stoic eyes to the demon on her fiancé's payroll to be sure that he had not heard her slip-up. Serik paused for a moment in his own rolls of pain-induced bliss, but seemed not to hear the demoness, and Blaanid was nowhere in sight... They were safe for the time being, but if they - or at the very least she - didn't get out of there soon...

Weary of the mess spilling out from between her thighs as the wraith skimmed over the topmost layer of cloth, his middle finger plunging down the low-cut material, the assassin only knew that the feeling bursting out felt more intense than anything she had ever experienced before! But just the same, the know-ed hellion acknowledged that a part of the reason could have been the fact that they where standing in the middle of a very open room after an eternity of solitude from the best companion she had ever known. Either way, the electrifying pleasure shooting up and down her spine was downright incredible! The truth be told, Hanzo had not quite meant to progress things in this manner, but the purr-like sound emitting from the back of her throat told the cold-blooded killer that it was a very welcome action, so despite their exposed position he got the hint to carry on and followed through - the desire eking from every pore far outweighing the uncertainty - trusting his hand in and out of her lone cavern, stirring her insides, he thought back to something he had witnessed her doing with his own two eyes, using the memory for inspiration and guidance in this unknown territory. It might have been startling traumatic at that time, but now was a different story...

Never wanting this dynamic sensation to end, the little devil had enough sense remaining in her fogging mind to know that they really had to move the act before they drew in a crowd - being watched was still an activity that she utterly dreaded, so wiggling her little and middle finger in a strange manner, Evren opened up a portal just behind Scorpion, all but half a step needed to disappear completely from the fitting. Notwithstanding current keenness and urgency in the midst of the almost public eye, Scorpion was more than aware of the consequences they would face in the event of discovery; As much as he wanted to just slip away like this and ravage her without a moment's pause, the chivalrous apparition could not completely forget the sight of Noob Saibot ruthlessly bashing the face of the woman he was supposed to cherish and protect into a desk. One more thing to pay him back for. Thinking twice upon their immediate state of affairs, the voracious arachnid grabbed her petite-by-comparison hand in his own and forced the extremity closed, curling his fingers through hers, thus making the portal vanish in a wisp of teal-tinged violet. In too deep to turn back - as if either of them possibly wanted that outcome - Scorpion admitted to himself begrudgingly that they would be risking enough with this liaison, something he had never wanted in this or any life, so he felt as if they didn't have to add another vanishing act to her secret resume of fuck-ups that her betrothed was surely keeping...

Clearing his throat to get the other man's attention, positive to first rotate the bride-to-be in such a way that hid their blatant two-timing, fingers still thrumming wildly inside of her, Scorpion addressed Serik with an amazingly level tone of voice, "The woman's not feeling very well." Maybe his tone was a little _too_ composed, the demoness thought somewhat bitterly to herself as she choked down another batch of euphoric melodies, "I'm going to take her to be examined." Worried that his creative truth telling wasn't going to be enough to get them out of the room without a fight, the shinobi added in a pensive tone, "Unless you want her to vomit all over your hard work and earn a nice scalping for yourself."

Grunting between words, only half-hearing what was said and caring even less than that, Serik nodded in the couple's direction, "Take her and begone... Just be sure to have her back here though. Once she's well enough to cooperate with true art..."

Wasting his energy with an understanding nod, Scorpion was about to teleport them elsewhere, perhaps to his own chambers, but she shook her head firmly against his chest, once more opening a mystical entryway, her voice low so as to not be overheard by prying ears, words gentle as if revealing a closely-kept secret, "I want you to be the first person to see this place."

By this point, skin-tight leggings germinating ever more tautly as the size of his already considerable manhood swelled, Scorpion didn't care where they went, so long as they wouldn't be interrupted or seen, but even that was quickly becoming a less appalling circumstance, but on some level, he was touched that she would share something with him that she supposedly hadn't with anyone else, however suspect that claim might have sounded, "..."

Scuttling sideways he brought them through the wavering gateway, the formless shape flickering more than he had ever seen it, every last minute motion of his laconic footfalls disrupting the steadily erratic pattern of pulsations in her pubic region, his hand stopping at one point altogether as the great care he took to avoid doing anything that would draw the suspicion of Serik was brought to naught, Evren's voice almost bringing it all crashing down as she expelled a very loud moan of ecstasy. On one hand he wanted to wring her neck for almost ruining it before anything could happen - a small sliver of himself wondering that if she didn't stand to lose so much in this love affair, would she trap him? - but on the other, he was vindicated to know that just his touch alone was more than enough to make her lose control like that. Staggering on the inside, Hanzo was awed to find that on the other side of her escape was not some disused closet or long-empty cell, but the very same field from Evren's dream, the sky still locked in the same hues, the flowers a little more withered than normal from the neglect - but still alive - and the reflecting barrier of polychromatic sheen was cascading into the distance. This was Evren's secret garden...

About to say something about the seemingly untouched meadow, about finally seeing her enigmatically veiled hamlet of flora with his own eyes, about her choosing to take him here of all possible places, of all people, the specter was cut off by her gratefully squirming figure twisting around without throwing his hold off, her hands ripping for his pants. She was just as impatient as he was, if not more so! Growing harder at the very thought of her wanting him as much as he wanted her at that moment, that a woman could display herself to be as ravenously randy as any man, the ninja was more than obliging as she discarded his trousers. Bashfully yet with desperation, Evren took his half-erect penis in her cupped hand, beginning to gently tug it back and forth, back and forth, genius enough to not only slip down from his grasp for a wider range of movement but using the same motion to displace her slightly-too-large dress so that her quivering chest was in full view. If Quan Chi had done any good in the world - besides playing his role in the creation of a woman like Evren - it would have been teaching his pupil how to make the most of her situations.

Heaving with a tremulous bounce, all that the undead could discern was healthy mounds, pert nipples prodding out form her breasts like little nubs, the scarlet tattoos caressing every curve of her femininity, one leg of slashing color wrapped over the pale nodule. Removing the hand coated in her liquid abstract, he brought it up to her bust, fingers splayed for one titillating second before he seized a hold of her chest, scissoring the bulb between his digits, eliciting yet another whimper from the succubus. Figuring that it was her turn to return the favor, the concupiscent maiden made quite the display of moistening her lips, slowly, tantalizing, pivoting her tongue, swaddling her naked orifice in her own spit.

Astounded to see her dropping to her knees of her own volition without the slightest bit of suggestion or prompting on his part, Scorpion was even more shocked when the lone personification of the Greek Erotes pretending to be the demon masquerading as a woman retired her hand and brought her lips to the tip of his cock. Flitting about as it explored every inch of his manhood, he found her tongue to be even quicker than his namesake as it darted up the slit, the shimmering trail of her saliva quickly followed by a wash of pre-cum. Flicking her fleshy pink mouth muscle over the entirety of her lover's tip, Evren followed up with a skill that had once brought her no end of embarrassment - although it still was slightly discomforting to display - taking the head into her mouth with a slight pause as she braced herself, she slowly began to bob her head up and down, taking just a little bit more with each pass.

Earning a small grunt of approval as she shoved him to the ground - crushing a number of her drying blooms - sucking him with ever increasing fervor, she paused as he grabbed at her shoulder, missing his mark completely on the first attempt, "If you keep going like that, I'm going to cum soon..."

Liking the husky tone he had taken, fancying the lustful gleam in his eyes even more, Evren lowered her mouth so that she could speak, "Fair is fair. Where do you want it?" Even for her father, it wasn't frequently when she had offered that kind of choice. Realizing that it might leave the wrong impression, it was the only way she could think of to tell him how much she loved him without actually saying the words, "I'm yours."

His... If only she was truly his...

Gathering that she was good on her word, Scorpion cast his eyes over her torso, thinking to himself where he wanted to unload, as this offer was a first for the widow. The bride might have possibly been beating him by in the number of lovers that she had taken - unbeknownst to him they were more equal in that category as she had not been touched by Noob - but he did know that her centuries of life counted for more than partners alone. What he didn't account for was the fact that all of her experience was force and fuck, while he had been fortunate enough to only know the body of women that loved him. Or so she thought...

Indicating that he didn't care, or rather couldn't make up his mind in the time alloted, she resumed the blow job, going faster and faster as he gripped her shoulders for dear life, nails digging into her flesh as that legendary white wave washed over his mind, the blood drawn serving more as an aphrodisiac than a deterrent. Mouth full of his seed, some of the monochromatic nectar spilling over, Evren - for the first time in her life - dipped her head back and swallowed as much as she could, almost choking on the milky syrup as it ran down the hidden passageway. That was not something she enjoyed in the slightest, but she knew that if Scorpion had ever asked it of her, she would probably agree...

Once her airway was clear, she gave him a once-over, taking as much of him as she could before completely removing her mouth from his stiff manhood, nothing short of pleased to see that he was still rock-hard, looking at him earnestly, voice throaty, "Help me with my dress?"

Gazing at her body, or what could be made out between the panels of silk and cylinders of unknown alloys, the wraith could not help but to notice a steady drizzle of clear ivory juices flowing from the soaked white panties she wore, spiraling shamelessly down her legs. The dress itself was not what he have imagined her in on her wedding day - not that he had envisioned Evren on her wedding day! - thinking the display too crass for her. Even just by the way that she dressed in her daily life, this was more something that he might have perceived her in after the vows had been exchanged, not what she wore going down the candle-lit alter. Or whatever the alter looked like! In fairness, he had no idea what a wedding in the Netherrealm would entail as in his time there he had not seen one, but he hazard a guess that it would look vastly different that what he would have seen in any part of Earthrealm. Regardless of those trivial details, Scorpion couldn't help but to gawk at her exquisite silhouette, seeing not the blemishes but the woman beneath, the delicate blossom that disgraced all others around her, that deserved so much more than what she had settled for...

For all the respect he had for her fiancée as a person, he might as well just have his way with the dress itself before destroying it in every conceivable manner, burning it toasty for good measure, but he refrained from those kinds of thoughts as he found that if he lingered on the fact that he was going to lose her to another man, he might loss the hard work she had just put in to this forbidden romp through the garden. Nodding silently on consent, not trusting himself to speak at the moment, he waited patiently as she turned around so that he could unfasten the pins and metal locks keeping the mineral bodice in place, if you could call the thin leaf helix layered in just the right places a corselet. Holding her elaborately braided waves back so he could see what he was doing, she looked over her shoulder at him. That was probably a mistake...

Even dead and skeletal, Hanzo Hasashi was the definition, nay the epitome of perfection, inside and out; he was far too good for the likes of her in any life. Defying everything she had fought so hard for, she knew that this tryst was stupid, that it shouldn't be happening, but the way that he held her in his arms... it unleashed something deep within, and she knew that it was more than a chemical reaction. But why, why did she have to jeopardize everything now that the end was almost in sight?! Even just starting out this escapade, she knew that this couldn't be just sex, Evren's heart full of foreboding...

Unable to take it any longer when he saw her peeking over her shoulder at him with those saffron eyes of hers, he blurted out something that he had been holding in for a long time now, "You look beautiful..."

Feeling the last pin fall out of place, she held the cloth to herself, very self-conscious with a remark like that, "I do...?" She looked at all of the bruises on her body, no longer hidden from view now that her glamor had dissipated with a lack of concentration, "Even with all of these?" She shook her head, reminding herself that while this was also fueled by lust, at least this time they were in control of themselves to a degree, so she thought that he was just trying to ease into this, whatever this was, "You don't have to lie. You don't have to say anything at all... " Letting the dress fall away from herself completely, momentarily letting everything else fall with it, she tossed the dress aside so it didn't attract any of the dirt that was sure to fly, rolling her hips as she pulled off her underwear and prepared herself for entry. Rubbing her clit with his head, she teased herself before lowering her body on his stiff member, "You don't even have to think of me..."

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**A/N:** This isn't the first time I've done it, but this is the first time I feel truly inclined to point out that this chapter is named for a song. The song itself is only of mild importance in terms of the lyrics and relevance to this story; it is more for the fact that the title itself holds so much meaning (but yes, the song itself is worth something, hence this long speech). I went through a bit to find just the right title for this chapter, and eventually I found it! On a scientific note - kay, never thought I'd really ever have to say that - scorpions are classified as arachnids, not insects. Most of you probably already knew that, but just in case you didn't, you do now. And no, Scorpion did not see her dream from 'Never Forget, Never Forgive" - that was just me trying to put the perspective in both of their views. In the use of the word 'skill', I meant more something she regretfully knew how to do, not that she was an expert at. Just because Evren might have a lot of practice does not make her a pro! Anyways, when I finished the last chapter, I had to take a short break to sort my thoughts out, and the following day I couldn't even write anything, because my internet crashed! Then from the third day on, I had a really limited window to work! Well, whatever, its done now...

Wishing to see something happen? You should review! You know, that little box at the bottom corner of the chapter? That's what it's there for! Props to those of you that already knew that!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mortal Kombat. That honor goes elsewhere. Like (but no limited) to Netherrealm Studios, the WB (or whatever they're calling themselves over at Warner Brothers), and Ed Boon. There might be more, but I'm no lawyer, and I'm certainly not versed in ownership rights, so I don't know exactly who owns what. I can, however, lay claim to Evren, Blaanid, Serik, and all the other minor nameless characters, and I do.


	4. Lips of an Angel

Not think of her...?! What an insane and ludicrous notion! Ever since the first time that he had been with the demoness, Scorpion couldn't stop thinking about her, no matter how hard he tried to! But the way she was riding him, her breasts bouncing even within the confines of his hands, the pumping grind of her hips against his as they both cried out for release, the warmth radiating from her core as their bodies strove onwards for completion all made it impossible for him to articulate that to her, no matter how much he wanted to...

Hanzo Hasashi never thought to himself that he was a man that could part from a more dominate position in bed, but her wild, thrashing thrusts were making him feel so unbelievably good... With moves like hers, it was a wonder that the devil himself wasn't contending for body... Moaning in the back of her throat, head rolling in the air, silver-gold hair whipping every which way in the gentle breeze that maintained a nice cool on their bodies so they didn't overheat too quickly, Evren was even more shocked than her partner was at his own inner revelation; she had never once been this demanding before, guiding the pace with a simple jerking motion of her haunches. It was different for her to be the one really calling the shots, and if she could have anticipated some kind of a life after the wedding night, this was a side of herself that she could see setting free every now and again - or it would have been, if she had anyone to share this kind of thing with... Surviving the wedding night or not, there was no way that she would ever let Noob Saibot touch her...

Twisting around like a white flag in a tempest as the harbinger of horny yielded her position to one more capable of the demands of leadership, the semi-clad shinobi flung the reincarnated Xochiquetzal to the ground a little more roughly than was necessary - though it was more arousing than abusive - pinning her in his powerful arms. The bride-to-be whimpered desperately in the bodyguard's ear, frenzied voice hampered somewhat by heavy pants of rolling ecstasy, "Oh, Scorpion, yes! Yes, yes, yes, YES! Oh, fuck me harder! Yes, make my pussy cum! Pound my cunt until its in the shape of your cock! Fuck! Fuck me like its the end of the world!"

The naughty demon bride wanted to chalk her mouth up to months of sexual repression, but that wasn't strictly true as Quan Chi was making emphatic strides to ensure that he not only remained vividly in her memory but that the spy was put to some use in her time of inane impotence. So instead of piddly excuses that could be debunked with minimal effort, the necromancer's offspring went with the claim that all her dirty talk was coming from a place that realized this was tantamount to her world ending, that this would be her last time with the man that she loved. Also, it was hard for either of them to maintain even an ounce of composure with the obscene, unadulterated, pain-numbing passion that was extirpating all else - In other words, the sex was just too good to pay any attention to what was coming out of the mouth. It was so good that soon the vocal one wasn't even speaking in a tongue that the wraith was familiar with...

Fulfillment just within their reach, nails becoming dragon talons as skin was torn open, blood seeping, the opus of climax was fast approaching for the both of them, the nigh unbearable sensation luring Hanzo to speed up the momentum between them. Rocking his well-honed temple with rhythm, jerking to a sudden halt in a spray of transparent essence, Rati's lesser's strictly maintained lower-half sputtering to a stop as her moist pink walls clamped down on her lover's quivering member, six or seven smutty moans dying as she buried her face in his chest. It was so warm in that place between heaven and hell, torrid even, unkempt waves of sunlit starlight glittering like seraphic thread as her head came down against his expansive, muscular chest; spent as the worst bride in the Netherrealm's lengthy, untold history undoubtedly was, mind tallying the price of this adventure, Evren thought to herself that whatever the toll was it would be worth this moment resting in his arms, loved for just a moment. She also wondered that now that their lives were forfeit, what else was there to give? Moratorium ended just a little too abruptly, the demoness embraced the obsidian, earthy soil digging into her back and embedded respectively into their flesh, the claws not ingrained in his divine gift from the Elder Gods ripping up the thorny roots of a dainty white fairy lily and a fist-full of a reddish grass. With his lady love's hands full, the spirit of vengeance grabbed the only thing he could think to for support as he rolled them over once more, grasping her thighs as yet another wave of euphoria washed over everything else, wiping it all away for just a moment, her name the only thing on his lips...

"Evren..." The moment was right, no the moment was more than right, perfect, or heavenly... The moment was theirs, and no matter what troubles lingered in the shadows, shark's jaws opened wide in the spreading blood-frenzy, they had each other, the way that it should have been, "I love you." All the ghosts were there at their backs, rusted swords drawn at the throat, but none of it mattered, because soon the things that haunted them would be put to rest, one way or another, "Evren, I need to know if it's too late to tell you I can't stand back and watch you as you give yourself to someone else. I know its selfish, but he doesn't deserve you," He tenderly ran his hand across the bruises marring her flesh like some jacket of decay, heart agreived as she winced at the contact, "No one who could treat anything as fragile as you this way deserves anything half as good as you are. I can't say that I always knew it, but I know now that more than anything else, I can't go on living - if that's even what we are - without you knowing that some part of me has always loved you. I've fought everything from my past to our natures, knowing the entire time that I can never forget what I've lost or how important it was to me, that more than demon and wraith, we are the puppets from hell, merely playing our parts in some picture larger than ourselves, killing in the reluctant services of manipulators and murderers." If only he realized just how true those words were, "But even with this blood-soaked carcass, I know in my soul that dying was the one of the best things that ever happened to me, because it brought me to you. If you asked me to, I couldn't pick what the best thing to ever happen to me was, because I have three. I know that if I truly love you, I should let you go through with this wedding without putting you in this place, that I should force a smile as I watch you go out of my life forever, but after everything, I can't. I always thought that it would be impossible to even look sideways at a woman that was about to tie her life to another, but when it comes to you, nothing is impossible. I lost everything once, and I'm not strong enough to do it again, not without a fight."

Scorpion was well aware that it was an amplitude of information to tell her all at once, and contrary to artifice, he never thought that he would say any of that out loud, let alone to Evren, so he anticipated her needing some time to sort everything out inside her head, and factoring in that she was as weak as she was - not that he ever would have guessed by the way that she handled herself - it was dicey if he'd ever get a reply. The chances of her dying from the demonic equivalent of a heart-attack were slim, but they still existed...

Figuring that he had divulged more than enough already to blur the lines of propriety, shame, and intimacy, the hell specter went on, baring his very soul, but for all he knew, this would be his last and only chance to say what was on his mind, knowing that letting this chance slip by would be worse than her impending rejection, hearing with finality that it wasn't enough to sway her, "And you were mistaken, about earlier. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, not since our time in Outworld." He could see the reluctance in her downcast eyes, no doubt placed there by her own father, so he elaborated, driven by the insanity that so closely cloaks love, "I think about you constantly, about every tiny mannerism that even the most skilled assassin can't fake. The way that you crinkle your nose when you sleep," He could see the question in her eyes but went on, "the way that you lean a little towards the left when you walk," Actually, it was less the left and more wherever he was, but she gave him credit for noticing that much, "There's nothing about you that I don't cherish."

What could she possibly hope to say to all of that?! Quan Chi had spent her entire life tearing her down, striping her of all worth and confidence outside of his schemes, leaving it so at the end of the day all she was to him was not blood but a woman that served his every whim without question, a loyal assassin that only had faith in his word and her skills at enforcing her master's beliefs. Evren had no allusions that she was the prettiest, the strongest, or the smartest, so she had no reason to leave the shelter of the necromancer, no one to replace him, to test her brain and her brawn against - she didn't even have a chance in being her own master, living a simple life. A simple life would have been nice... But there was no way it could ever be hers, because she was a broken doll, and as the Sorcerer of the Damned so loved to admonish, no one wanted broken goods...

But more than the marvel she felt for his sedulously sincere confession, Evren could not so dexterously disregard the image of Hanzo's burning third face in Bi-Han's sadistic hands, the horror forevermore cauterized into memory, so the not-so-lovelorn demoness knew that her course of action was clear, that this had to end before the mental and emotional wounds crossed over into the physical and she lost him for good. But feeling as if she had signed his death certificate and had all but handed him over to her fiancée, it wasn't so easy to just shove it all away and do the right thing, the thing that would save his life, "How can you tell me that you love me when you you don't know if I'm the girl you think you see, or if I'm really Quan Chi's faithful assassin, skilled in the art of deception?"

Saffron eyes welling up with bitter-sweet tears that even her constant blinking could not hide, Scorpion brushed the lone streak of nacreous pearl away with his ever-exposed thumb, loathing to see her sad even in the silence before the coming storm. The inquiry itself was an inscrutable query that plagued him so frequently - especially as of late - and yet he stood by his declarations for the seemingly unfaithful female, because there was something truly good about her heart and soul. There had to be, or else he wouldn't have fallen in love with her so throughly...

Closing her xanthous orbs as the organ functioning (just barely) as the heart filled with the dread of things to come, the bride could see his answer reflected back at her in his ghostly peepers, each word only for her and no one else, which only made what she had to do that much harder, "You said that he doesn't deserve me, but you're wrong - I'm the one that's undeserving." She spoke in terms of a much larger scale, hoping that he realized as much, "My father showed me my worth long ago, and Noob Saibot," His name was more acidic than the substances in Outworld's many dungeons and torture chambers, "continues the lesson. I'm no good for anyone, let alone you, so you should do yourself a favor and just forget about me..." Freeing herself from his grip, the remains of her heartstrings snapping with the increasing distance, Evren stood up and backed away from the first man she ever loved, grabbing the dress from the dirt with a somber sideways look back at Hanzo, "The physical things I feel for you cannot make the relationship you desire..."

Distraught to witness Evren's self-doubt, that the demoness thought herself to be nothing more than Quan Chi's daughter, steeled in lies and tempered in the fires of deception, Scorpion spoke from a broken heart, reaching out for her in vain, snatching her retreating figure by the wanning wrist so she couldn't leave, "Then give me what you will." Hanzo could scarcely believe his own mouth, "Every day we spend like this, locked in this excruciating strife, I'm dying more and more. Watching you waste away before my eyes, severing all independence as you slip away into a life of silent servitude... I can't do it anymore, not in silence, not without you knowing that this isn't your only option." Reaching for the sword that had just barely made the trip with them, he presented it to her in true shinobi fashion, falling on his knees in a move not unlike her own, once upon a time, "If you can't find it in yourself to know me on your own terms, then do me this one kindness and end my suffering."

"You daft ninny!" Taking the weapon that had seen easily over a thousand deaths only because she had to, Evren glanced down at the threatening shiny metal for the briefest of moments, appearing to consider it when really the reflections of time had whisked her away, and promptly upon return the bereft threw the blade out of hand, falling down to her own knees in a quivering heap, arms wrapping around Hanzo's neck during the descent, "Seeing you dead is the very last thing that I want!"

Sobbing visibly and in great volume, collapsing against the fallen saint of revenge, he lowered his outspread arms in suspended disbelief, encasing the indents of her waist as he yanked her closer into him, refusing to let her go - not that she was fighting the embrace. How could he possibly do that to her?! Loathing her very existence was one thing, loving her another wonder, but to actually fall before her mercy, offering her his very life when it was the very thing she held the most precious! Some deeper part of the hellion understood that he had no idea what she was fighting to protect, but for him to actually...!

Getting the not-so-subtle impression that he had truly frightened her with his request, he brought the last paramour as near to his being as he possibly could, comforting her with a circular motion at her shoulder blades, whispering tenderly to the lost crop of Arcadia, "Don't you know that this what someone does when they really love you? They offer to give up their own life."

Battling the hysteria that threatened to consume her frail person, the keeper of secrets and torment shook her untamed head, only half calmed by his efforts, "There are easier ways to prove that you love someone than to sacrifice yourself for nothing!" Was it irony or hypocrisy in her words? She wasn't quite sure herself.

"Is there?" He smirked beneath his mask, running his hand over the corporeal curve of her bare posterior.

Returning his implied smile with one of her own, warming rather quickly from the frantic mess she was about to become, the daughter of his greatest enemy gently removed his mask with tentative permission, leaving the second layer that mirrored his original form not for its aesthetic appeal but because it had fleshy lips to taste, however, that pleasure was only fleeting. Barely together, their lips parted as soon as they had met, the learned demoness' experienced fingers nimbly casting away all remaining barriers that separated them, even going as far as shedding away her own guise so that he could behold her for what she truly was. Something horrible to behold, in her father's kind words, he did not turn from her but cupped her face in his hand, bringing her in for a slow, passionate kiss, her own lips meeting him so slowly, so gently, it only could have been love...

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**A/N:** Wow, 27 chapters to tell her that he loved her? I do believe that that's a record for me... So anyways, I wasn't planning on just blurting this all out there like that - stupid word-vomit - but its out there now! I think also partially just put it all out there was because I don't anticipate this to be super long like the last story - maybe ten chapters? I dunno, that's complete guesswork, so it could either decrease or increase from there... I do know that this chapter was completely evil to write, going through at least three major rewrites before I was satisfied with the outcome. As for the part about the devil, that's actually a reference to the song "Rev 22:20", by the band Puscifer. So just name-dropped my favorite comic/movie company! Oh, by the way, Xochiquetzal is an Aztec goddess associated with fertility, beauty, female sexual power, protection of young mothers, pregnancy, childbirth, and women's crafts, or she is according to Wikipedia. Rati is, again my source being Wikipedia, the Hindu goddess of love, carnal desire, lust, passion and sexual pleasure. Evren is NOT really the reincarnation of any deity. And, if anyone's interested, I put up a picture of Evren, Scorpion, and Noob on DeviantART. I'm not good with links and stuff, but if you don't feel like shifting around, PM me, and I'll try - key words being try - to post a link to the picture. Note that my own interpretations of Evren shouldn't cloud the vision you might have of her. If you don't want to look at my art but are still curious to know what I vaguely imagine for her, I'll just say these two words: Stahma Tarr. I don't know how many of you have seen the show Defiance, but that's what I envision for her, in a vague sense. I have no clue what her demon form might look like, so I leave that to your imaginations. And derp, last but not least, I would like to thank Cold Recluse for the review. So tired, and this is so long!

So tell me, was the wait worth it? Was Scorpion out of character with an action like that? Will I ever stop bugging my readers for feedback? Actually, I can answer that one right now - No, I won't. Feedback helps me get better, and the interaction is just nice. But just remember that love makes people do crazy things...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mortal Kombat. That honor goes elsewhere. Like (but no limited) to Netherrealm Studios, the WB (or whatever they're calling themselves over at Warner Brothers), and Ed Boon. There might be more, but I'm no lawyer, and I'm certainly not versed in ownership rights, so I don't know exactly who owns what. I can, however, lay claim to Evren, Blaanid, Serik, and all the other minor nameless characters, and I do.


	5. Flawless Victory

Descending from that sweet, sweet dream, Evren found herself back in her fiancé's scrutiny just a little too expeditiously, the momentarily contented woman's mind wandering back to everything that had been said and done in her private getaway, the heart destitute of liberation from every whisper, whimper, and sigh, Hanzo's arms around her even still. Absentmindedly humming to herself as she ran an ornate bristle brush - the scarlet-ivory handle contrived of the tusk of the first oni she had slain - through her anemic gold waves so she could re-braid the sections later, the demoness was only half able to pay attention to Noob's verbal pawing. She was too lost in the glowing aftermath of the affair to notice it, but Bi-Han was not unaware of her rendezvous with his old nemesis. Prisoner to the bliss, the mind and body were respectively reeling, not only from their corresponding confessions - the demoness' less of her immediate dealings with Noob Saibot and their purposes and more of her at her most basic of levels - but also from exerting the little bit of strength remaining... Unfortunately, Noob had a rather good way at bringing his pawn back to attention...

At no time atingle to see the female, the reverent cast off an aura that insinuated he was especially irked at her superfluous company, additionally vexed at more than just her disgustingly immoral romance with his fellow wraith, and that was mostly due to the fact that some of the wedding guests had started to arrive earlier than expected - a full week early to be exact. At any rate, the perpetually pissy phantom was far from happy to have to greet this particular guest and her entourage on his own, as being of great importance in more than her own native realm, it looked a little off to just be formally greeted by the groom. But the exchange wasn't without its merits...

Forced to uphold his own charade, Bi-Han frequently had to make a deliberate show of spending his valuable time with his future bride, which although annoying did grant him with plenty of time to plot, so it wasn't strange for him to be seated - in this case atop the discrete table at the foot of the royal canopy bed, the fluttering veils in silken hues of mauve, violet, plum, and lavender - in her private quarters. What was out of the ordinary was the former Lin Kuei pivoting his neck around to fix his fiancée with a stern, dour gaze, getting straight to the point as a result of his sullen mood, "Blaanid tells me that you sudden vanished during your fitting. Where were you?" Ascending to his full, intimidating apex, the honor-less undead warrior laid his hands over the woman, forcibly grabbing her by the upper arm, his left thumb digging deep into a smarting bruise left a few days prior, tracing the dying indent of the desk with his right hand, handling her as rough as possible, "I thought we already had this discussion, that you were supposed to be in a known location at all times?"

Evren flinched away from him, everything crashing around her as the image of utopia in her mind shattered at the mere sound of his voice, golden orbs cast down as she gave him the same excuse Hanzo had given to Serik, "I had to go lay down. I wasn't well."

Sensing her bullshit a mile away, the apparition cocked his head as if he truly believed her cockamamie story, "Is that so?" Pulling her into his arms - the closest they've ever been without an audience - his darker side revealing in her gasps of pain and protest, Bi-Han took a deep breath of the dried sweat lingering, inhaling sharply as he thundered, "Then why do you reek of that Shirai Ryu bastard?!" Before she could come up with a lie, the malicious male tore off the simple yet tasteful teal nightdress the demoness had dawned in place of that savage extravagance he had ordered upon her, throwing her stark naked body to the floor, "You don't deserve to wear a fine ladies gown, you lying whore!"

Beating and kicking her body with feral savagery, the spiteful spirit only became angrier when she tried to fight back for the very first time, incensed that she had tasted enough strength from her lover to fuel her desire to live a while longer. Aiming a well-placed drop kick as her ribcage, he was more than elated to hear not the sickening popping crunch of bone breaking, or even the loud cries of agony as her vision began to blur in blood; no, what sated his aggravation was the silent whimpering of his slave falling back into line as her spirit was broken once more. Calling her unrepeatable names and saying a number of horrible things in her ear as he hoisted her by the skull to his eye-level - as if she deserved to even be graced with his visage - Noob did not stop his onslaught, not even when she began to bleed from her mouth and nose, the blood trickling to the floor, the copious gore smearing across her face as he bashed her head into the solid marble-esque floor. She wanted to be a lying whore, he might as well treat her as such. Her surge of newfound strength was also very telling as to what else they gotten up to, that at the very least he had made some pitiful admission to bolster the hope he had been so sure to annihilate, and that served only too infuriate him further.

Stopping at long last, just before she could lose consciousness or give in and perish, only half slated to see her curled up form convulsing in a tremulous ball, Noob pulled out one of his last two trump cards - in terms of Evren - and showed her a document he had stashed away, lowering it in front of the one eye that hadn't been completely sealed shut, allowing her to read a small section of it to show her that he was always one step ahead, taking exactly what she needed before she even knew that she should look for it. No longer just limited to crying on the outside, Evren lost it on the inside as well, bawling throughout her entire being... All of those hours spent pouring through dusty manuals, hand-written in dead languages, days alone spent sorting through volumes of orderless tomes, and now all of that hard work amounted to nothing in the scheme of things, her goals dust in the proverbial wind... And what was worse, Noob had found it first, knowing exactly what she had been searching for...She never knew that it could hurt so bad to lose hope...

No, not everything was gone forever, because she knew that Hanzo loved her... Noob might be able to squash all other rays of light, but that was one thing that even he could not take away from her! Hanzo really, truly, honestly did love her, and even in the jaws of utter defeat, that meant everything...

Curling his finger around that little metaphorical mustache, the malevolence masquerading as monster was intending to keep this one a little longer, but after her rather expected betrayal, he let his eagerness get the better of himself, figuring that his second smoking gun was perhaps the best in his arsenal against domestic disturbance, albeit a rather shocking discovery. Ripping her from the ground by the roots of her hair, several strands splitting from her scalp in the process, Noob tossed her against her gilded dresser, making her put something else on so they could go for a little walk and meet their first guest, as a couple this time. Conquered, that beautiful fantasy dying inside her chest, Evren proceeded quickly into a pair of simple pants and a robe-like top that hung from her shoulders, following him out of the bedroom, too beaten to wonder why they had to do whatever it was that they were doing at that time. Without so much as a glance from her betrothed, she knew that once they were in the open to put up a glamor, so she did the minute that her door was open. The smile wasn't nearly as easy.

**-Scorpion-**

After parting from Evren as she returned to her room to be dressed for bed - a small part of him wondering how she could even plan to sleep after their tryst - the taste of her lips fresh as they exchanged one last covert lip-lock for the time being, he had intended to return to his own chambers. He wasn't as tired as he might have expected after their understanding had been reached, nor was she, but that probably had to do with the good twenty some minutes spent simply lying in each other's arms, basking. Anyways, while he was not quite dead on his feet just yet, Hanzo's mind was full of racing thoughts, and he needed to be alone to sort them all out. But he never got the chance to even make it to his destination...

Even on cloud nine, Scorpion was still more than skilled enough to know when he was being tracked, and by a long shot, his pursuer was an amateur at best. As much as he did not not appreciate the advances, he had to admit that as a kombatant, the hunter was fairly formidable - he had first-hand experience to know - and their abilities were quite keen when the mind was not addled by lustful delusions. Swiveling on the ball of his foot, Scorpion stood face-to-face with none other than -

"Mileena?!"

But it was not the specter that spoke the Tarkatan Princess' moniker - it was Evren, a most unwelcome hand applying an obviously cruel amount of pressure upon her shoulder, a satisfied smirk upon his lips, almost as if he had caught sight of something he shouldn't have, "What luck, to run into the two of you here." Noob knew that the princess of Outworld would be chasing Scorpion the minute he had returned from fucking _his_ fiancée, and he made no great effort to hide that fact, "That's right, the last time we four were gathered was Shang Tsung's little get-together in Outworld, wasn't it?"

Cringing inwardly as Scorpion's own recollections of that night swam to the surface, months of trying to forget paying off at the wrong time, the ninja looked over at Evren with pleading eyes, mutely attempting to communicate with her that that banquet was not his fault. It was a cimmerian gloom for all, but even still, there was no excuse for what he had done... It was the very same evening that Evren had been forced to publicly announce her sham of a relationship with Noob, Bi-Han doing most of the talking as he did not trust her to deliver the right message to the the beings gathered, mentioning the wedding in the first toast of the night. Playing no small part in his poor decision-making of the night, everything that had recently transpired was weighing especially hard on Scorpion, going as far back as the time of his death, everywhere he ran a reminder of what he had lost... Alone, he was easy prey...

"You promised me a dance that night," Mileena leaned in for Scorpion with her arms outstretched for an embrace that was never going to come, almost completely oblivious to their company as her voice broke though the haze of the past, "I hope this time you won't leave me after we..." She smirked suggestively in his direction, wriggling her eyebrows, licking her lips beneath her gossamer veil, "Have our fun."

Whatever Noob had just done to her body and spirit had no equal to what she felt in her heart right in that moment, her saffron eyes brimming over in an instant, heart breaking to a billion unfixable pieces, world ending before it could really even begin to live, creation ceasing on the cusp of the sixth day, "You didn't!" When he said nothing, she gasped, "You did!" There was not accusation in her words but cold, hard reality, realization settling that what she thought was not, that the person she had given everything for had so betrayed her. Hanzo had willing shared himself with Mileena, while if Noob had even so much as touched her, she would have performed the ultimate cleansing...

Noob's pleasure couldn't have been any more tangible than if it had been the fifth point of a pentagon, his sadistic malice soaking in the misery, heart lifted somewhat as he reveled in his riches, "But he did."

Never more wrong in her life, Evren fell apart at the very seams as she realized that Noob was able to take everything away from her, that his flawless victory had begun at this very moment. Unable to contain herself for a moment longer, the glamor fell away as if it had never been in the first place, manifesting first and foremost the heavy streak of crimson across her face, the blood dried now but still hopelessly bright, but between the horrors of her appearance and the shining tears in her eyes that haunt him for the rest of eternity, Scorpion didn't know what sight hurt him worse, "...Evren..."

Trembling, the abandoned and unwanted demoness pulled herself free from her fiancée, fleeing without another word, not even a hurt look back. And then she was gone...

Scorpion felt like nothing short of shit for what he had done, all the old wounds opening once more as she departed, including those that had resulted before he had ever heard of the likes of a place like the Netherrealm, the Mortal Kombat tournament, or Evren. Mileena seemed not to notice so much what was going on around her, nor did she care, her shapely orange eyes busy raking over the wraith of the Shirai Ryu. Noob failed to see what the appeal was to Scorpion, but it made no difference, because once the Netherrealm was his, there would be no Scorpion... A part of him wished that his psudeo-wife was going to live long enough to see that fucker die...

* * *

**A/N:** Reading those reviews... Wow. Just wow! Now its my turn to be unable to thoroughly express just how much reading these reviews have moved me! I have received a fair share of reviews that really meant something to me, but never before this have I had so many for one series, let alone that have collectively moved me beyond speech! All I can say is simply thank you, from the bottommost part of my heart, and that this has truly been the highlight of my entire time on the site, and as an aspiring writer, one of the crowning achievements so far, ranking just second. In almost twenty-one years of life, trust me, that is truly saying a lot. I only hope that I can achieve even greater things when I spread my literary wings! But that's going to be quite hard, I think. So thank you! I really can't say it enough, but I really have to give infinite thanks to TheHemomancer, Obelisk of Light, and Cold Recluse - while I'm grateful to everyone that reviewed either of NFNF or WWBD, my heart really goes out to you guys especially. So thank you!

About the story, particularly the part of the creation and six days and all that, and even my various references to culturally different deities in past chapters, I want it understood that I mean none of it personally. I'm simply drawing comparisons from legitimate sources (yes, apparently both wikiepedia and mythology are credible).

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mortal Kombat. That honor goes elsewhere. Like (but no limited) to Netherrealm Studios, the WB (or whatever they're calling themselves over at Warner Brothers), and Ed Boon. There might be more, but I'm no lawyer, and I'm certainly not versed in ownership rights, so I don't know exactly who owns what. I can, however, lay claim to Evren, Blaanid, Serik, and all the other minor nameless characters, and I do.


	6. Repentance

The ceremonial crimson candles burned low in their cast-iron nests, the charred wicks sparkling less than the embers of dying stars, but that was for mere effect, to elicit a sense of fear and foreboding in the miserable whelps called called upon by their masters. In a room with multiple doorways, there was no need for any open windows; in the Netherealm, there was a certain expectancy for the grim and oppressively bleak, so entire tiers of stagnance were not unheard of. Seated at his designated place at the head of the oblong table, passing along the orders of another, completely unaware of just how absolutely demolished his daughter was, Quan Chi could feel in the back of his mind that something was amiss - however, being as preoccupied as he was, the necromancer did not dwell upon it.

Glaring down upon one of the countless and nameless faces of the Brotherhood of Shadow, a male clad in a shiny apple red leather-like suit from head-to-toe, the sorcerer was just about to bark down the sap's orders when the commander of the condemned caught sight of a silhouette that was hastily becoming more commonplace with each passing day, so instead he spoke to it first, "What tidings have you, Saibot?"

Not just the shadow clone but the actual man himself, Noob addressed the other man nonchalantly as he reabsorbed his messenger, speaking as if his news was not something of great urgency, but really, after acquiring total domination of his bride-to-be, he wasn't overtly worried, "Evren is gone." He couldn't be sure from his position and the dim lighting, but Bi-Han could have sworn that a blood vessel or two had burst in the sorcerer at the information, "And she's nowhere in the Netherealm."

**-Earthrealm-**

Unsure of why she found herself here in this place, let alone after everything that had transpired, all Evren knew was that aside from this being the last place anyone would look for her, the manual labor would be a good thing to keep her mind off of Scorpion. Scorpion, the man that the demoness had given everything up for in order to keep him safe, that her breaking heart could not lie to but her lips could not give the truth to, that she had to watch from afar, dying every day that he was near... The man that she loved more than anything, that she thought loved her, that was... No! She mentally slapped herself for thinking of him, of what had brought her to this lonely and desolate scrap of earth, of what he had done by giving in to the likes of Mileena... Shaking her head, face still baring the blood from her beat-down, Evren knew with absolute clarity that more than anything right now, she needed the mind-numbing monotony, but even still it was no secret that this place she had gone to wouldn't be as perfect as it originally seemed in her mind...

Six feet underground and only just able to crawl her way out of the grave, Evren scrambled to the murky surface, body coated in sloshing mud that was only just beginning to dry at it's zenith, burdensome hair weighed down by a depressing night rain that soaked to the bone, chilling below that. Granted, it was stupid to dig when the previously salty island water was rapidly filling up all of the hellion's hard work, but in her frazzled condition logic was completely unknown to her, if not a bitter enemy. Panting as she sat for a moment, she looked round at all of the graves she had already dug, hazarding that only a few more would be needed before she could move on to the next part. Getting up once more after the respite, she grabbed the shovel she had found in a nearby tool shed and went on to the next outlined plot, going straight to work. Pain was a great motivator...

What her magic could have accomplished in seconds, she did by hand in hours, taking solace in the bleeding blisters that were forming a protective mitt over her hands, as blood-stained as they were. Honestly, she wished that this had been done sooner, that the proper dues could be paid by the right person, but she figured that they had waited long enough, that in time he would come back for them and perform the proper rights... She knew that he would, but it was a matter of time now, her mind unwilling to even think his name, code or otherwise...

Exhausted by her drudgery, Evren pushed herself even further past the brink, placing each decayed body gingerly in the over-sized graves, zipping between this world and her garden as needed, leaving an appropriate floral marker over the top of each fresh mound. At last, just before the very end, she reached the final two markers to be memorialized, placing the most meaningful blooms upon them, whispering an extra prayer to both, leaving the truest wish for peace. Combing through the smoldering remains of buildings, it was not hard to guess who these last two were, the objects in their home quite telling all on their own.

As much as she longed to look around, to see who he was before death, Evren felt wrong doing so, that it was in intrusion, so she refrained, taking a pause in hauling out the corpses only long enough to see a half-charred photograph. In the simple wooden frame was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in all of her many years; a family, a handsome man - no, the most exquisite man that could have been the envy of the Elder Gods themselves - with his gaze torn between a woman with such long sable hair it was almost unreal, and the newborn dozing in her arms. How could she possibly ever hope to compare to that sort of happiness?

Once she had finished her final prayer, to Scorpion's late wife no less, she fell to her knees at the foot of the grave, tears in her eyes, the photograph seared into more than just her heart, "There are no words to express how sorry I am. I know that it's wrong, for me to be sitting here, speaking to you, but more than the man that I have corrupted, I long to tell you all just how badly I feel as the daughter of the man that brought you all so unjustly to your ends... First and foremost, I beg of you all to pass on peacefully, to attain what you may in the best of places. You all deserve no less for your suffering. And to you and your son, I wish that I knew your names, that I could properly pay you all you are owed. I don't know if you know me, or what I have done, but you do not, I want you to know first that though he does not speak of it, I know that your Hanzo has never once forgotten you. But you should know that I have made him stray, that he so soon has accepted your fates. I am sorry." She had to take a moment to collect herself, the tears too much during her monologue, "Hanzo Hasashi is a good man, but he was tainted by the lies of my father, and I corrupted him even further. I'm sure that someday soon, he will come here and tell you his own side of things, and I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive him... I know that I have..."

It was true - as hurt as Evren was, disappointed even, she had already forgiven him, because she knew that it truly wasn't his fault...

-**Scorpion**-

Summoned to Quan Chi's side, Scorpion arrived in a spire of searing flames, arriving on the scene to find the two men in the midst of a coded yet increasingly heated debate, one unflustered and the other quickly reaching the peak opposite, "Your orders?" Cut only so much less than Evren, he kept it brief, arms crossed over his chest as if that would stop the internal bleeding.

Craning his neck for a look at the new arrival, Quan Chi only hesitantly tore his sour glare from the other wraith, although his fury was just as equally distributed, as it should have been the former Shirai Ryu's job to prevent this sort of occurrence, "Evren has disappeared. On your watch, Scorpion."

Muttering under his breath his own two-sense, Noob chimed in for his rival to hear, "And who could blame her after having her heart ripped out of her chest and shoved in her face? After all she's done for you, that is how you repay her." He shrugged, speaking a little more audibly now, "But knowing our missing flower, she probably only has two objectives as it is - to repent, and to do it in secret." Noob would have said other things about her, but he was still mindful of the plan, that she was Quan Chi's daughter, so he lied, using this opportunity to get one last slide remark in, "A man is lucky to find a woman with such a heart, wouldn't you agree, Scorpion?"

As much as the shinobi loathed the former Lin Kuei warrior, desiring almost nothing more than to pummel him on principal for his comments, Scorpion was grateful to the man just this once, because he gave him his first lead on where exactly to start his search - Earthrealm. Being native to the Netherrealm, it would have made sense to repent to Shinnok, but if that had been the case, she would have been found with ease, so obvously she was elsewhere; While there were undoubtedly scared figures in all the realms, only the Elder Gods were universal, and who better to turn to than the one deity that was closet to them? True, Hanzo did not know the exact location she would be - but surely with the Thunder God's help she would be found - but at the very least he knew what realm to find her in, and that was all that mattered. He had to find her, and he had to do whatever it took to make it right...

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**A/N:** I'm not sure if stagnace is an actual word, but for my purpose it is. And finally, Quan Chi makes his grand appearance! Seriously though, I think to a degree he would tolerate the way that Evren has been treated by Noob, since he's using him to eliminate Shinnok, but I do think that Quan Chi would take and attitude inside that would be more like 'no one hurts her but me'. But that's just speculation on my part, which I impart here, just in cause I don't get around to explaining that in the story itself.

Anyways, I hope you're eagerly awaiting the next chapter! *whisper voice* Review, review, review! (Sorry, I was watching Adventure Time when I wrote this part.)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mortal Kombat. That honor goes elsewhere. Like (but no limited) to Netherrealm Studios, the WB (or whatever they're calling themselves over at Warner Brothers), and Ed Boon. There might be more, but I'm no lawyer, and I'm certainly not versed in ownership rights, so I don't know exactly who owns what. I can, however, lay claim to Evren, Blaanid, Serik, and all the other minor nameless characters, and I do.


	7. Speed of Pain

Alighting just outside of the Thunder God's primary temple in wild flashes of vermilion, humble columns of soft heather grey stone erected in place of grand statues and a well-kept rock garden in the eastern-most corner, Scorpion called out to the deity, both demand and consternation in his exclamation, the uncertainty reverberating from the hollow halls back into the wraith's ears, "Thunder God, I need an audience!" He knew better than to expect to call the man's name and get an instant reply, but Scorpion was panicked beyond reason, every moment it took to find Evren a moment that could ruin whatever was left between them, "Raiden, I know that you can hear me! Answer!"

Watching the ghoul from the shadows, blue-white eyes sparking as he read deeper than the dead man's irritation, scanning through the various inflections tumbling in his words, the white-haired man appeared before the wraith, his long hair visible and tied back simply, a clean lien robe upon his otherwise bear shoulders, "Scorpion? What brings you here at this late hour?"

Given that the Netherealm had a strange sense of time, if there was a flow of time to it at all, it was impossible to know what the hour would be in Earthrealm at any given moment, but Hanzo had the feeling that Raiden was not referring to the actual hour, "I don't have time for your games! I have to find Evren now!" All Scorpion could think of in that moment was losing Evren, of what would happen after that, of how he he had to do everything within his power to prevent that outcome. It would be wrong to discount the previous feelings he had of losing everything that was dear to him once before.

"Ah." Being one of the many lifeforms invited to the ceremony, he knew of the wedding to Noob Saibot, also feeling deep within his core that danger was right around the corner if that union were to take place. "You're looking for the woman." Raiden was not completely ignorant of their situation, testing Scorpion for his reaction, "Tell me, is this an order from your master?"

Scorpion did not miss the tone in the other man's voice, gathering that he was still disappointed in him for not only killing that bastard Sub Zero, who that once was innocent - go figure - but also for allying himself with Quan Chi during Shao Kahn's invasion. He did not blame the deity for his views, but Scorpion felt at that time that there was still something he had to do, that he could not defect no matter how much he desired it - it was not that he felt inclined to join with Raiden and his band of merry men (and women); scorpion simply wished to be alone at that time, answering to no one but himself. Now, however, he felt differently, that he would rather be with Evren, living an honest life, one that was simple, where she would be safe from harm... But he doubted now that that vision would ever come to pass...

"It is," Hanzo answered sincerely, "But I have my own reasons to find her."

Peering at Scorpion as if reading the very fiber of his being, Raiden was silent for a moment, merely examining Scorpion, answering with an approving smile that did not appear right away, "Yes... " The God of Thunder did not have to delve far in the ninja's soul to see that he loved the demoness, that his only desire now was to make amends with her. "Very well, I shall assist you in locating her, Scorpion. I know not her exact whereabouts, but something tells me that you will." Raiden nodded solemnly at the thought, relaying a rather enigmatic clue as omniscient beings so often do in these personally dire situations, "_Scour not the land but the heart, and once within the confines, thine purity shalt reveal the answer you seek, and so shall thine quest be done."_

And that was all that he to go on... Sighing in irritation, berating himself for expecting more out of the deity, Scorpion wanted to have a word or two with the god, but predictably he was already gone, so that left the undead shinobi standing there in the middle of the spacious room, alone. Thankfully, he was not as screwed as some other people might have been with a hint like that because he had grown in a world full of the enigmatic, so it was not hard to determine that he was meant to look inwards, that he already knew where she was. His first thought was of her garden, her true form surround in all of her flowers - some of them already looking a little better with just her presence alone - her golden-white hair rayed out as she laid on her back in the field, gazing dreamily at the sky, but something told him that that was wrong...

**-The Home of the Shirai Ryu-**

Finding himself standing in an all too familiar location, for reasons he could neither explain nor understand, he was drawn to the home of the Shirai Ryu. Standing amid the rubble in solemn contemplation, Scorpion was visited by the vision of a lone figure bent low over the freshly made graves of his fallen comrades. Hair gleaming in the light of the moon, a sliver of waxing crescent visible in the shifting clouds, the identity of the silhouette was no mystery to the apparition - It was Evren, the very woman he sought. But stalking forward, his mission was far from done...

Longing to atone for the sins of the father, and to put their spirits at peace, Evren had stolen away to Eathrealm, more specifically to Japan, where the Shirai Ryu formerly resided, wherein the demoness had buried every last one of the deceased, offering her proper respects. While her act itself was not entirely selfless, her tearful conversation with Kana Hasahi was completely heartfelt, and what she didn't know, was not strictly private, a shadow lurking in the shadows of Scorpion's old home, or rather the remains of it...

Kneeling at the foot of the freshly dug grave, coated in all manner of grime (her face still smeared in her own blood) and in no suitable shape to be an ordinary mourner, the demoness finished her colloquy/eulogy, a hollow - to some extent bitter - laugh-like sobbing noise escaped her contemplative being, "You might think this cruel, but in many ways I think that you were lucky." The pale demon glanced forlornly over at the very next grave, "Not only did you get to know him, truly get to know him in the most intimate of ways that no one else could ever hope to reach again, but you were the one one woman that he could be happy with. You will always be his wife, the one that could give him an ordinary life, with a proper romance, a proper home, and a proper family..."

In some alternate universe, Evren might have seen herself as a mother, as a normal wife, but not in this one - even if he never said it, wasn't there some part of him that might have wanted a family again? Maybe not, but even if they could have been together the way that she wished, and by some chance he did want that, the demoness was skeptical that she could give him that on a biological level. Sure, the Netherealm was filled to the brim with demons, but a large number of them had been made, not born - truth be, not even Quan Chi knew if a third generation litter could be possible, as the numbers of second generations like his daughter were rare, and no records had been kept... She would be more than happy with the two of them, but what if he wanted more one day? And what if she couldn't give it to him...? No, she shook her head, now was the time to dwell on impossibilities...

Looking down, her hands almost pitch black from all of the digging she had done, the nail polish she wore chipped away to near obscurity, the daughter of the Necromancer steeled herself for the confession that no one else was likely ever to hear, "I don't know if it helps, but you should know that I'm sorry - I'm sorry that I fell in love with your husband when he was still devoted to you, because I can can see how much its made him suffer. I would rather die for an eternity than watch poor Hanzo suffer for a single moment!" Calming herself down somewhat, Evren went on, clearing her throat a little, "The fact that I've caused so much pain hurts worse than you can possibly imagine, but I thought that I was doing a good thing - trying to save his life. It doesn't make up for what I've done, nothing ever will in my mind, but you have to know that it's all been for him. It might have been better if we had never crossed paths, easier even, and for everything I've caused a part of me wishes that it could be that way, but my heart...?" Exhaling, the succubus stood up, whispering to the air, "I don't know why I had to tell you all of this, what difference it will make... I can't have him, not ever... It was a fool's dream, because every time, it would have been you chose, and every time I would standing there alone, watching like an idiot. But he would have been happy, and that would have been enough for me..." Looking at her hands once more, Evren wished that she had studied the black arts better, "If only I knew a little bit more, I could brought you both back to him... Rules be damned, he deserves something to go right for him!"

As much as the female hellion might have wished she could bring a smile to the man she loved, not even her father could bring back someone outside of his jurisdiction... The Shirai Ryu had been slain, but it was with an innocence on their souls, so they had ascended to a better place. If they had perished with even a slight taint, there might have been a chance for resurrection, but as it was...

"You would really do that for me?" Drifting just within earshot of the whimpering woman, Scorpion made his presence known to her, and what was worse was that she had no idea how long he had been watching her, how much he had heard, but he didn't give her the chance to dwell on it. Taking her in his arms, her body too weak from everything to fight back, he pulled her into the tightest possible embrace, whispering in her ear, "Something already did, but I was the one who fucked it up."

Restraining herself, knowing that every time they were together was only bringing him that much closer to death, Evren did her best to fight the warmness of being enveloped in his arms, "Don't do this to me... I know that's asking for more than I deserve, but please, don't..." She couldn't hold out much longer, the caution ebbing away with every heart beat they shared, "Please..."

"Finish it." He could tell before she had more to say, and he needed to hear it.

Closing her eyes, Evren realized that there was just no fighting it any more, so she gazed into his eyes, "Fuck it, I'm not strong enough to do this anymore..." She really was at the end of her rope with everything, and she just couldn't keep it in any more, her voice wavering, "My heart knows that we were destined to meet, that even in another life we would meet, and I would be drawn to you each and every time, always without fail. I can feel with every fiber of my being that I would fall in love with the same person in every life, and because that person is who it is, I wouldn't have it any other way. It might be easier to have never known you, but easy isn't in my vocabulary, not if it means even one life without you, Hanzo Hasashi. I'm sorry that I'm not the woman you deserve..." Her mind fluttered back momentarily to her earlier worries, but they were small enough to be shoved aside for the time being, "I'm frightened of losing you, but I think even more, I'm terrified that I will never feel half as good as I feel in your arms. Being who I am, how much I've hurt you, I know that I don't deserve to feel this way, but you should know the truth, that through all of this, my heart beats for only one man... You."

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, this chapter took a little longer than it probably needed to, but I had to take a day or so and just step away. I have a lot of ideas for this, and I doubt that we want to see me burn out on this before we can see them come into play! Yeah, I so just adapted his arcade ending! Anyways, for my next MK fic, I was wondering who you'd rather see in it? Kano or Kabal? Either PM me with your answer, post it in the review, or go to the poll. Granted, I don't plan on having the story out right yet, but probably at some point during the month, most likely near the end, if I had to guess. The word ghoul is used loosely. To all those Raiden fans out there (here's looking at you, dear Obelisk of Light), I'm sorry that his part was so small, but on the bright side, I promise that he shall appear again before this story ends! I wanted to go a bit more, but this is kinda perfect the way that it is... Aside from the fact that I didn't want her to come clean (so tp speak) until later!

***Update: 8-9-13*** Courtesy of Obelisk of Light, as always. Seriously, whenever anyone notices even one slip-up, please, please, please tell me! Granted, I was really eager to this chapter out, so it's my bad. Alright, grammar, word choice, spelling - just your typical typos.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mortal Kombat. That honor goes elsewhere. Like (but no limited) to Netherrealm Studios, the WB (or whatever they're calling themselves over at Warner Brothers), and Ed Boon. There might be more, but I'm no lawyer, and I'm certainly not versed in ownership rights, so I don't know exactly who owns what. I can, however, lay claim to Evren, Blaanid, Serik, and all the other minor nameless characters, and I do.


	8. No More Lines

She... loved him? After Kana, the widower honestly thought that he would never hear those words again, but hearing the glass rainflower say it so softly, as if the words themselves would become the most terrible weapon, the key to Armageddon itself, it felt as of something broke apart inside of his chest, the heavy chains of oppression and hate falling away with a chinking rattle, the oxygen returning to a dead planet once more. Losing everything in a single agonizing instant that could never be measured, he swore to himself in those final dark moments of his life that he would never feel anything again but the blood of the bastards responsible for the destruction of the Shirai Ryu, but now, he realized that some part of him had always been waiting for this moment... For her...

Holding the hell flower tight to his breast, the wraith wanted to never let her go ever again, to die right there in that moment so that they could never be parted again, the demoness' name the sweetest promise on his lips, "Evren... I'm so sorry. I know that there's nothing I can say or do to make you see that that night was the biggest mistake in my life, but I can promise you that I won't rest until I've made it up to you."

It couldn't have been easy for him to say, for the mountain to have to bend in the breeze, and even though the succubus already understood exactly why the arachnid had done what he had done - who was she to condemn the actions of the lonely and the desperate - it helped Evren a great deal to hear the words, to know that she truly did mean something more than a mere idea, that her own feelings and place was not taken for granted. But not even the purest of intentions could change the situation she had found herself in. Looking at him in defeat, there was no fight left in her spirit, no resistance, only pain, voice trembling as she breathed, "Dammit, didn't I already tell you to just forget about me? That I was no good for you?" She sighed, allowing her head to roll alongside his chest, "You just don't realize how much I-"

"Despise me?" He cut her off, assuming the worst, even as she told him that she had loved him. "You could not abhor my very being more than I already loath myself for thinking that you could be replaced, even for a second. I wronged you in the worst of ways, and I can never make it up to you enough."

Perhaps it had been hypocritical of Scorpion to hold off on his apology, to almost demand to hear Evren's confession all the way through to the end, but it wasn't like her answer would have changed what he had to say in any way; no matter what the hellion felt, no matter how much she might have grown to detest him, the undead ninja warrior was still intending to apologize, to grovel if necessary. He had told her once that she would never see him on his knees, but under the circumstances, he sincerely doubted that that claim would hold up... But foolish pride aside, Hanzo did not care, because Evren was worth everything to him...

Why did he have to make it so damn hard to love him?! Evren had learned from various texts in her studies that doing the right thing was often the hardest path to take, often well worth the effort once all was said and done, but the demoness had no clue that it would be this impossible! Fuck it, the assassin knew herself well enough to know that she just wasn't strong enough to try to protect him on her own - she cherished him above all else and would do anything for him, but she had reached the edge of her purlieu, and she knew that if she tried to keep it all in anymore, she would either kill herself from the stress, or worse, have to lie to him. Sleeper or not, Evren had made up her mind what felt like an eternity ago to not lie to this man, and that was one resolution she would keep!

Yielding at long last, her body crumbling against his in every possible aspect of the word, the demoness gave in, but first she had to clarify one last thing, her voice quivering as as she said, "You don't have to atone for anything, because I already forgave you. After all, when you love someone, you show it by giving up your life, isn't that right?" She cocked her head or anemic gold, reusing his own words. " I understand that you're not the first person to make a mistake - I know that I've been stupid and acted for what I thought to be the best, all while sinking in a dismal abyss." Which lead her to her next point. Looking into his eyes, lost in the depths that anyone else might have called shallow in their monotonic hue, Evren gave up what little she had left, leaving herself completely exposed before the man she loved. "There's something that I've been keeping from you, and I think that it's killing me to conceal it... Hanzo Hasashi," The little monster slid out of his arms, reluctantly leaving the warmth, taking his hands in hers. "I love you with all of my heart, and I think I have from the very first time I saw you - I just wish that I had told you sooner... But I couldn't..." She cringed. "When you left me there in the garden, I was visited by Noob Saibot, a man you might know better as Bi-Han, and he... " She was loath to revisit what exactly the man had shown her, and as much as Evren would have loved to gloss over those details, she knew that there could be no secrets between them, not anymore. "He black-mailed me into protecting you. Taking me to the pits, he took your mask from me, and he..." Gulping, it was hard to recount aloud this particular memory. "He made it clear what he would do to you in the event that I should not do as he wanted." It felt marvelous to be able to share that, the mere act of simply saying the words freeing up some of the horror that lurked in the darker corners of her mind. "Everything I've done these past months has all been for you..." Reassuringly, she flashed him a small, somewhat sad smile which quickly faded. "More than the beatings, what really made me bleed was watching you, knowing that I was going to die without being able to tell you how much I love you... Noob keeping us dichotomized yet almost whole was the lowest!"

For him...? The skin-deep marring pained the eyes to behold, so Scorpion could only imagine the internal damage the fragile female had sustained; envisioning the last two times he had seen her, Hanzo indignantly, vividly, recalled bruises and blood, all brought on by a man he already thought that he could possibly have no more reason to hate - Bi-Han, the original Sub-Zero... The shinobi had already killed that sleaze unbefitting of a proper name once, and he was going to do it again! No one should treat any woman the way that Evren had been treated, but the fact that he loved this particular woman... No, he wasn't going to stand by and watch that bastard walk around, unpunished for his crimes... But getting back to happier thoughts, Hanzo realized that she had always loved him, that she was willing to go even further than her limit to protect him. He always knew that there was something good about Evren, but until know, he never knew what it was, or to what extent it would reach, but he did know that there was something...

But Scorpion realized something that quickly complicated matters, worse than her technically being engaged to marry another man, his voice falling flat as his insides froze over in chilling apprehension, "I still have to keep my first promise and avenge my fallen comrades."

Honestly, in everything else that had been keeping her consumed as of late, that was something that had slipped the demoness' mind, even though she had just spent hours in the company of the nameless victims, apologizing for what her father had done to the Shirai Ryu, "My father... That's right, you have to kill him."

Ordinarily Scorpion would have gone straight for Quan Chi the minute he had learned the truth, but the way that things had happened, he had been instead subjected to waiting, watching as the woman he loved prepared to give her life to another man, which inadvertently lead to being the one thing keeping him from slaying the necromancer and taking his revenge. "You might hate me for it, but I have to kill him. Noob Saibot next."

Quan Chi had done so many unspeakable things in just her lifetime alone, and Scorpion was not the first to promise vengeance, nor was he actually the first she thought should be able to take it, but he was the first one she thought would actually stand a chance in succeeding. Some part of the tiny devil always knew that her father would pay, someday, but she never imagined that she would be facing this, that the man she loved was going to be the one to kill him. "I can't say that I like that fact, but you're right - you do have to kill him. You deserve it, and so do they." She glanced around at all of the numerous graves. "And..." The sorcerer's daughter shook her head, truly saddened by the words she was about to utter, "I probably won't stop you when that time comes. As for Bi-Han, I doubt there will be many to mourn."

Scorpion gawked at her - aware that there would be one who would, had he not been captured by the Lin Kuei, but that was another matter entirely - stunned almost speechless to hear that she would be so quick to accept what he had to do, "And you're ok with that...?"

Evren mutely disagreed, verbally expressing in earnest, "Don't misunderstand - I love my father no matter what, and if you were anyone else, I might try to hinder you somehow, but if I'm honest with myself, he has it coming. Yours wasn't the first family he tore asunder, and I doubt that it will be last... It has to stop somewhere, and quite frankly, as much as it kills me, I know that you're the only one that can do it." There was no hiding the anguish in her voice as she said that, no masking the personal torment raging in conflict inside at the very thought of playing any part in that sad affair. "I won't stop you, but I won't help you either..." She shook her head again. "I love you both, and I won't pick sides."

He understood. And even though she might not have specified as much, Hanzo had the distinct feeling that if a line had to be drawn, he knew on precisely which side she would stand, but he said no more on that matter, not right now, when there were more immediate problems to deal with. "What about the wedding?"

That was a damn good question... What about the wedding? How was she going to go home and tell everyone, her father in specific, that she wasn't going to go through with this lie anymore, that she was choosing her own happiness for the first time in her life? Noob could go fuck himself for all she cared, but her father... Quan Chi had spent his entire existence striving for a chance like this, to achieve the end game, so how could she possibly deny him this chance, especially given that she was on the verge of screwing him over five different ways to Sunday?

Mulling it over for an extended time spent in pensive silence, the wilting flower in bloom thought that she had come up with the perfect plan, but first, "You trust me, right?" After everything it was kind of ludicrous to ask, but it was one of those questions that had to be worded, no matter how redundant it seemed. "Hanzo, I need to know that you trust me completely, that I'm not alone."

He nodded slowly, having the instinctual feeling that this wasn't going to end well, but he gave her the answer that she needed to hear. "With my life. Why?"

Doing the opposite of nodding, even in spite of the sorrow all around, Evren broke into a wide beam, voice considerably lighter than he had heard it before, "I have a plan, but I need to know that I have your trust and cooperation so I can successfully see it through. I need to know that I can count on you for this..."

Slightly offended by her remark, Scorpion sincerely had hoped that the demoness had a good reason to doubt that he would have her back in any given setting, that she would even have to voice such an outrageous inquiry in the first place, "As my woman, you should already know I will do whatever it takes."

"Your...?!" She grinned wildly, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pressed her body against his once more. Again, this was one of life's more pleasant surprises that the hell flower had not been expecting to hear in her waking hours, but truthfully this entire crazy scenario was not something she would have known to anticipate, as wonderful as these fleeting moments were. "I'm your woman?!"

"Aren't you?" He looked sideways at Evren, wondering if maybe he had assumed too much.

Blushing a soft rose, the colors a tiny bit darker in the scarlet marks on her cheeks, there was an unmistakable gleam of pride in her eyes as she spoke, "Well, I gave you my life already, so I don't think its much of stretch..."

* * *

**A/N:** So, was I the only one thinking of Star Wars when I used the line "assumed too much"? Anyways, finally one happy break for the couple... OMG I just made them a couple! Writing the chapter, I didn't even realize how far I made them go in thirty chapters, but now, writing this little note, it hit me! I can't believe that it finally happened... I guess now all that remains to be seen is how long it lasts... And what happens next, naturally.

Well my friends, you should tell me what you thought of the chapter - in other words, you should review!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mortal Kombat. That honor goes elsewhere. Like (but no limited) to Netherrealm Studios, the WB (or whatever they're calling themselves over at Warner Brothers), and Ed Boon. There might be more, but I'm no lawyer, and I'm certainly not versed in ownership rights, so I don't know exactly who owns what. I can, however, lay claim to Evren, Blaanid, Serik, and all the other minor nameless characters, and I do.


	9. Dirty Innocence

It wasn't the easiest thing in the world, contemplating her father and fiancée with a look of contrition, not when the scumsucking skid mark was gloating over the horizon, his diabolical plans aligning perfectly (or so he thought); it was almost unspeakably cold-blooded to even look upon the man that raised her since birth, aware that the necromancer's time was winding to a grim, Shakespearian close... But unforgivingly harsh as felt in that dismal spotlight, it was a bearable pain because for once things were finally going right - Scorpion finally knew the full truth about her, so now they could start a life together, and...

"You had us worried," Quan Chi peered down his sharp nose first at the conscience-striken woman kneeling before the high-backed throne, her begrimed nose practically grinding against the brisk stone, and then at the shinobi standing stoically behind her, one hand still upon her shoulder as if to prevent her from running away again, no secrecy in the sorcerer's words amongst 'friends', "my daughter. I trust that you're alright now?"

The beggarly female bowed her head respectfully - all the loose hairs falling from both slender and elephantine braids and into the sullied face, obscuring exercised saffron eyes - speaking to both the magician and her groom, sorrow dripping in every other word, "I didn't mean to cause any concern... It's just that everything was happening so fast, I couldn't keep up, and I had to go out on my own to sort everything out. I promise, from here on in, you won't have to worry about me again - I will play my part without a fuss."

Noob, having noticed that although he kept a firm grip of the female, that lowly Shirai Ryu bastard was keeping his distance from the pawn, smirked down at the woman, if that's what that mud creature even was, pleased to see that she had finally learned her lesson. Obedience was all he asked of her, not much of a tall order. "I'm glad to hear that you've finally come to your senses. Now go get yourself cleaned up - you reek."

Fist trembling furiously, Evren nodded curtly, ascending from her crouching position. "You're too kind to me." It was hard to miss the constriction in her throat as she spoke, but it was shrugged off as Noob and Quan Chi conferred amongst themselves, blabbering on about the guest list, the father of the bride disagreeing with the bridegroom about having invited nearly everyone of importance, even those that normally might have been counted as enemies. Chancing a cautious peek over her shoulder, the demoness nodded at her lover, speaking loud enough for the others to hear her, "I guess I'll be going then."

"Wait," Quan Chi motioned for his dear daughter to stop, "Evren, before you get ready for your fitting, you should get some rest. You look tired, child." Even beyond the layering of muck and bruising, the conjurer of cheap tricks could see the signs of exhaustion plaguing her frame, sinking into her very bones. He swore, if Noob was not so necessary to his own plans... Well, no matter. Quan Chi knew that everything would work itself out in the end, and like always, he would be the one coming out on top...

The reluctant occultist nodded in acceptance of the request, pivoting away from her living nightmares to head for her comfortable abode, the guardian wraith following her every step, never once ceasing the part of the muted warden. The shadow-man and his master paid the duo no heed as they left to her chambers, neither thinking a thing of it. To prevent any slip-ups in the charade, Hanzo and the hellion remained silent as the grave from which they came, avoiding the other as much as possible, even in hallways void of any other signs of life... at least they did, until they were alone in her room.

The minute the sturdy door closed, clicking quite loudly as the wilting flower locked the door behind them with an antiqued silver key that almost always remained in the lock, there was a collective sigh of relief from breathless bodies. While Evren had the utmost faith in Hanzo and his abilities, and he only grudgingly had faith in her plan, they had been expecting more backlash for her disappearing act, but apparently the hour was dawning too close to lose it at every little thing, and besides, just because it was glossed over now did not mean that there wouldn't be a consequence later. Of course they were glad for the fact that there wasn't any current ramifications, but unfortunately by this point, the couple was used to things falling apart at the seams, the thread snapping with every stitch, so it felt strange to be able to catch a break. But it was a welcome kind of strange all the same.

Grinning over at the yellow clad ninja, the mud cast realized that while this wasn't the first time that they had been alone in her room - granted a majority of that time the wondering spirit had either stood just outside of the door, or Bi-Han or someone else had been present as well - but this was different, because now everything was out in the open. Somehow, it was suddenly embarrassing, golden orbs roving self-consciously over the scattered contents poking out of half-open drawers, a parchment scroll literally rolling from the top drawer of her nightstand, the end trailing over the plush carpet. More than that, it was really intimate, the soft lighting of her hovering candles seeming all the paler, their bodies so close in the empty space, nothing standing between them anymore...

He was not oblivious to this, either the atmosphere or the facts, chuckling softly at her, sensing their nerves playing its bitter, spine-tingling song in the both of them, but this was one area in which he had some experience at least, which was more than she could say. "You're blushing."

Reaching up for her cheek subconsciously, glancing through the earthen cracks at her reflection in the gilded mirror, the succubus dully noted that she looked like shit; flesh covered in her own blood, mud dried from the oceanic rains, chilled in a burning sweat, the ashes of eternal embers smeared here and there, and Elder Gods know what else. Flushing, the bride-to-be retorted, "Shut up..."

Relinquishing his hold of her shoulder, subsequently brushing the length of her arm in the process - not minding the various thing she was covered in - Scorpion pulled the filthy female even closer, enveloping her stained waist, burying his face in her greasy, unkempt hair. Chastely, he kissed the side of her head for a prolonged period, indulging in the unadulterated feeling of holding her in his arms, basking in the simple sensation of feeling her body against his own. After everything, he needed this moment of adhering so sweetly to his other half, knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that she was his woman, that she loved him. They had been through a lot together already, and it was far from over...

It seemed as if hours passed, and who knows, maybe it was even longer, the time blurring by in sheer revelry, but it was only a matter of time before the enchantment was ended. "...I have to get ready." She clearly didn't want to say it, but they both knew that a lot was at stake, that there was not room for so much as a single error. Starting for the master bath, their fingers still connected yet strained, she looked over her shoulder at him, sly and demure. "Care to join me?"

It was true that the wraith had gotten himself nearly as coated in guck as she was, in no small part thanks to cradling his demoness, but wouldn't that look a little strange if he were to come out of her room, cleaner than when he had went in? Even if there weren't any run-ins with any major players in their game, there was still a sizable number of servants that could have seen the suspicious departure (her room itself being teleportation-repelent, which on some levels he was grateful for), and therefore spread the word. Rumors had a way of circulation, often times with an undertone of believability, and that was exactly the kind of stupidity that had to be avoided at all costs...

And yet...

On the verge of declining the most generous offer, milky orbs wistful as they parted, the door open a rather voluminous sliver as she began to disrobe, the apparition watched as the stiff piece of cloth fell from the curvature of her shoulder as she untied it, observing distantly as it fluttered down, catching at the elbow. Glancing over at her paramour, the demoness quickly averted her gaze, the other side of her shirt falling off in hot pursuit of the first, but at the very last moment, she caught it, holding the fabric closed just over her breasts, turning to face him. "It would be easier if you got undressed first, but either way, your clothes are going to have to get wet." Her face fell, worry setting in as she asked, "You are getting in, aren't you?"

It was nice to see that she had a plan to cover this tryst, that they were just going to make it look like some kind of an accident, assuming of course that their fears became reality in the first place. Having a plausible alibi changed everything. "And miss a chance to get you wet?"

Quirking the corners of her lips in a risqué smirk, Evren turned back around, continuing to get undressed in an unseemly fashion, going as seductively slow as she possibly could. Being the proper gentleman that he was, Hanzo came up behind her with all the stealth of his trade and namesake, looping his arms through the space between her shirt, encircling her waist. Leaning in the negative, he teased the nape of her neck with his lips, hands roaming over her chest, earning a purr of approval.

It was with great lack of enthusiasm that she informed him of her last minute decision, "It isn't that kind of shower." The devil frowned. "I need to know that we can spend ten minutes together without you trying to fuck my brains out." He scoffed indignantly, earning an eye-roll and a correction form the demoness, "Fine, I'm the one that can't keep my hands off you... But can you really blame me for that?!"

Not really, no. Scorpion knew he was fine, damn fine at that. "Have it your way."

Wishful and involuntary, the yellow shinobi abandoned his fondling, looking on as she rolled her hips out of her pants, stripping the clingy, ruined fabric away. Standing there in her lace panties, a ribbon of blackened eggplant running along the the top, he stood rooted to the spot, watching the curve of her back as she bent over to draw the opal tap, the dainty fabric riding as she brought her ass high into the air, waving it unconsciously in a hypnotizing pattern as she moved back and forth. As if that wasn't bad enough, his mind jumped straight back to her mouth around his manhood as she lowered herself to her hands and knees, pouring a faint lilac potion into the negative space of the surface-level oval, the shape cut out of a pale tile. No, he thought firmly to himself, he had to restrain himself, for her sake. She had asked him to hold back, and hold back he would... Hopefully...

Dipping a finger into the water as she stirred it around, crystalline bubbles bursting to life in the rapid torrent, the demoness must have determined that it was perfect because she slide herself back from the edge, curling up to a kneeling position once more, finally standing. Gazing back at him innocently, she laughed, realizing that he must have been watching her this entire time, as opposed to getting ready to join her. "You know that you're still clothed, don't you? I wonder if you don't need help with getting naked...?"

He mock laughed, "Haha. Just give me a damn moment!"

Snickering once more, Evren did away her panties for good, kicking them aside, "I'm going ahead - I don't wanna waste this warm water and the bubbles." And indeed, she got into the bath, almost disappearing completely as she submerged herself, not resurfacing until all that remained on her skin were the fading blemishes only time could heal. "Hanzo?"

Poking her head up, not really for air as that was wasted on the likes of her, the hell flower happened to get an eyeful, watching in wonder as he chose that exact moment to be finished undressing, descending just as she did the reverse. Oh well. Ducking once more under the water, the tub more of a small pool, she rubbed off a smear of something on his second face, beaming as she did so. Holding her wrist in his hand, capturing the extremity before she had the chance to retract it, rubbed some of the soil off of her skin with the back of his thumb, bringing the fresh skin to his lips.

Pointing up in delay, she indicated that they should return to the surface, so they did, Evren reaching for a small basket at the side of the tap that he did not notice earlier. Amongst conditioners and various other products he did not recognize, there was a bright red loofa, and next to that a bottle of something vaguely sherberty that he took to be an herbal wash she had made from her flowers. Not wrong about that, she handed him the sponge, dabbing on a touch of the soap. With both hands free, she grabbed her hair and held it over one shoulder, sitting on a shallow shelf that was almost completely invisible to the naked eye. Waiting for him to sit on the tiered cut-out by her side, she noticed something fairly sizable and purple poking out from next to a selection of bubble-baths, so she quickly hid the cylindrical device, but not quickly enough...

"Really?" He sniggered as she scrubbed away the remains of the past, their past, both separate and together, not imagining that she would have something like that. "So is that what you do in your free time?"

Blushing a rich crimson color, skin brighter than the markings twisting all over her frame, the demoness cursed her luck for leaving it out like that - not she she would have expected to ever have company in in this part of the bathroom, "I have needs... Had. Have? Sh-shut up!" Her face continued to grow darker as she stuttered. "It was before we even met..."

Teasing her was a rather interesting way to keep himself preoccupied from staring at the supple mounds quivering mere inches away, and kind of fun to boot, "Been fantasizing about me have you?"

Evren looked away, sighing, "You were the reason I got it in the first place..." That sobered the mood rather hastily. "Believe it or not, but I really could have cared less about things like sex - I mean who could have enjoyed it when your father was the one..." Shaking her head, the woman chased her demons away, back into the dark, "Anyways, it wasn't my favorite part of the day, suffice it to say. But when I saw you for very first time, I don't know, it was like something just kind of clicked into place. You were the first guy I've ever seen in the Netherrealm that wasn't completely horrible." She chuckled, trying to lighten the mood back up, "Anyways, I guess in some ways, I really do owe you." She saw the lost look on his face, so she went on to say, "Its not like it stopped, but at least when I found someone else to think about, it was manageable. You really helped me through, even before I knew your name..." She looked over at him. "But I guess that that was probably a story I should have kept to myself, huh?"

Mentioning briefly in the past about what Quan Chi had done to his own daughter, Hanzo hadn't stopped to really think just how far reaching the psychological trauma must have went, and then to add in the ordeal she had to undergo with B-Han too... To say that he was impressed by her would have been an understatement, "...Evren, I..." He didn't even know what to say, or how to commend her for surviving the trials she had to suffer on her own, likely without a single soul to back her up in her time of need.

She gazed at him, curious to know what was running through his mind with a confession like that, if maybe she had strayed a little too close to the likes of Mileena, "...Yes, Hanzo?"

"You..." He really had no idea how to convey what he was feeling at that moment, not in any adequate terms, "You're amazing. Really." Really, he was an idiot. Out of every possible thing that could have come out of his mouth, every possible compliment that he could offer, that was all that he could manage to get out? He wanted her to know just how much he respected everything that she had to overcome just to be standing here in one piece, and that was what he had said to express it!

However, she got exactly what he had meant. Sure, she might have used contextual clues like the furrow in his brow, the set of his shoulders, or even the tone he had taken, but she didn't have to analyze any of that, because she knew him, and she could just tell that what he had said meant more than just the simple words themselves, "I'm no survivor... If anything, I'm just a lucky fool in love. Lucky, to have lived as long as I have, merely killing the time until we could meet, a fool for all the many mistakes I've made on the way to you, and strong only in the sense that I am guided by what I feel, my love for you the only thing to sustain me during this hell."

"I love you." He pulled her into his lap, sitting her on his thigh so that they could face each other better, and partially for another albeit lower reason. Despite whatever she had said earlier about minding their personal space, not knowing what he was planning on doing, she didn't fight him, more than obliging as she curled her hand around his forearm, slipping it down to his hand. He laced his fingers through hers, whispering in her hair, "Forever."

And she knew that he had meant every word. Leaning her head against his chest, inhaling his scent, dedicating it to memory, the demoness returned the sentiment with all of her heart, breathing lightly, "No, even longer than that. Unwrite history and wipe away the stars, and our love will still be there, shining."

After that point, the rest of their bath was fairly uneventful, unless you count Evren slipping back into the draining water as she tried to get out of the tub, skin wrinkly and pressed with strands of bleeding starlight. Fortunately for her, Hanzo had been there to catch her, bringing her back to a paradoxical steady, her head swimming amongst the clouds still. But she wasn't dizzy from it, amazingly, which she assumed was because of her anchor, her lover. Always touching her in some way, there seemed to never be a break in their contact, their glow even more constant than the eternity promised.

But finally, at one point, Scorpion did have to let her go, and the blissful dream had to be put on hold as he summoned a maid to call for Blaanid and Serik, to let them know that the bride would be ready for her fitting soon, so then all they had to do was await their reply, when they were ready to see her. The homely maid with an hourglass figure had nosily inquired as to why he was soaking wet, as predicted, and he simply fed her some bullshit story about having fallen into the tub when assisting the bride-to-be out. He knew that the story would find someway to evolve, but considering that there was an element of truth to it, he had faith that it wouldn't be questioned too much. Satisfied with the tall tale, the maid went out, searching for the demons as instructed. He deduced that they would be waiting for awhile.

Task done, he returned to find Evren sitting at the edge of her bed, braiding the lower half of her hair while she waited. Looking at her form from behind, he thought for a moment that she was still not dressed, but he quickly realized that this was not the case, that she had simply put on a semi-sheer periwinkle halter dress, the silvery lining almost blending flawlessly with her pallor. Finishing, she looked up at him, beaming.

Snuggling next to her, Evren leaned her head against his shoulder, her voice betraying just how tired she really was, "It won't be much longer now..." Despite her best efforts, she yawned, the warm water finishing what was left of her energy, "until we're free..."

"What do you think..." Scorpion paused, looking over at her from the corner of his eyes, realizing that she had fallen asleep. He had been about to ask her what she thought was going to happen after the wedding, but that could wait. Tenderly, he put her in her bed, covering her with the blankets. "Goodnight, Evren."

About to turn away to stand guard over her, he froze, her hand wrapped around his wrist. "Stay?"

Looking back over his shoulder at the door, he knew that if he fell asleep too they would probably be caught, but he couldn't help himself, nodding at her. Crawling into the other side of the bed, Scorpion laid on top of the covers, looking at Evren. Just before she completely was taken by sleep, she rolled over so that she was staring into his eyes, her hands in his hands. She fell asleep with a glowing smile...

* * *

**A/N: **This entire chapter wasn't in any part of my plans, but I really liked it, giving them a moment to show the more innocent side of their relationship. Well, that actually was one thing I wanted, unofficially, to show that it wasn't all just angst and sex, but I had originally wanted them to be just laying in bed... I dunno, some of you might view this as a kind of undoing, or completely off base, but I don't see it that way - to me this is a type of metamorphosis, a turning point, a defining moment. Call it what you will, I stand by it. I was so tempted to put in a reference to Resident Evil: Zero, and it was a temptation I could not pass up. For those of you not familiar with the series/game, the moment is when the two protagonists (Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen) first meet. Here's the youtube link, if you want to check it out. I think I did it right...

watch?v=YeKqsDEsnIo

Resi was my first game, so it will always have a special place in my heart. Anyways, I hope that you liked the chapter, and that you'll review!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mortal Kombat. That honor goes elsewhere. Like (but no limited) to Netherrealm Studios, the WB (or whatever they're calling themselves over at Warner Brothers), and Ed Boon. There might be more, but I'm no lawyer, and I'm certainly not versed in ownership rights, so I don't know exactly who owns what. I can, however, lay claim to Evren, Blaanid, Serik, and all the other minor nameless characters, and I do.


End file.
